Department of Health and Social Care

Maternity Services: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the take-up rate for six week post-partum examinations for women in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry was in 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is not collected centrally.

NHS Trusts: North West

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been (a) allocated and (b) paid out through the Cheshire and Merseyside sustainability and transformation partnership to each acute trust in the Cheshire and Merseyside area in (i) 2015-2016, (ii) 2016-2017 and (iii) 2017-2018.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the revenue funding that was allocated to the Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for 2017-18 under the Cheshire and Merseyside sustainability and transformation plan has been paid.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much revenue funding has been allocated to the Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust in 2017-2018 through the Cheshire and Merseyside sustainability and transformation partnership.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what amount of revenue funding allocated to the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for 2017-2018 under the Cheshire and Merseyside STP process has been paid.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what amount of revenue funding allocated to the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust for 2017-2018 under the Cheshire and Merseyside STP process has been paid.

Stephen Barclay: Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships do not allocate revenue or funding; this is done at an organisational level, and all organisations are responsible for managing their own budget. The local, statutory architecture for health and care remains, as do the existing accountabilities for Chief Executives of provider organisations and Accountable Officers of clinical commissioning groups.

Joint Replacements: Surgery

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on the number of clinical commissioning groups which have a body mass index threshold that patients must meet to be eligible for (a) knee and (b) hip replacement surgery.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on the number of clinical commissioning groups which have designated (a) knee and (b) hip replacement surgery as a procedure of limited clinical effectiveness.

Steve Brine: NHS England has advised that it does not hold this information.

National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure compliance with part 9(45)(3) of the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 by relevant bodies.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which clinical commissioning groups have (a) met, (b) exceeded and (c) failed to meet the requirement in part 9(45)(3) of the National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) Regulations 2012 that at the end of each data collection period not less than 92 per cent of the persons falling within paragraph 4 have been waiting to commence treatment for less than 18 weeks in the last three years for which figures are available.

Stephen Barclay: The Government has made clear to NHS England and to Parliament that the Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard, as described in The National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2015, is nothing less than the statutory standard. The 2018-19 Government mandate to NHS England continues the multi-year approach which carries forward the same overarching objectives to 2020 with only one significant change (the role of NHS England to support the Government to make a success of European Union exit in regards to health and care). This will provide stability for NHS England and the wider NHS to focus on improving performance surrounding core patient access standards including RTT. RTT data is published by NHS England monthly, by clinical commissioning group. This data can be found for the last three years at the following links, by selecting the ‘Incomplete Commissioner’ data set for each month. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2017-18/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2016-17/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2015-16/

Incinerators: Health Hazards

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2018 to Question 125210 on Incinerators: Health Hazards, whether the small area health statistics unit has submitted its papers to peer-reviewed journals.

Steve Brine: The papers from the Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) project are currently being finalised by SAHSU and will be submitted to peer reviewed journals by June 2018; it is likely to be a few months after submission for the papers to be published.

Halton Clinical Commissioning Group

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of full-time equivalent staff employed by Halton Clinical Commissioning Group in (a) 2013, (b) 2015 and (c) 2018.

Steve Brine: NHS Digital publishes workforce statistics, and the following table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) people employed by Halton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in 2013, 2015 and 2017, as at 30 September for each specified year and latest data available. The figures for 2018 have not been published yet. NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): FTE staff employed by Halton CCG in 2013, 2015 and 2017, FTE: YearStaff employed by Halton CCG (FTE)September 201329September 201546September 201767December 201768Source: NHS Digital monthly HCHS workforce statistics

Halton Clinical Commissioning Group

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of vacancies there are in Halton Clinical Commisioning Group; and if he will list those vacancies by job title.

Stephen Barclay: The Department does not hold the information requested.

Medical Treatments: France

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of medical procedures that are being provided in France due to limited hospital capacity in the UK.

Stephen Barclay: This information is not collected centrally. NHS England provides guidance to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which are primarily responsible for commissioning services to meet the requirements of their population. CCGs base their commissioning decisions on demand for NHS services, cost effectiveness, patient needs and clinical evidence. CCGs can commission any service provider that meets National Health Service standards and costs. However, they must be assured of the quality of services they commission, taking into account both National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines and the Care Quality Commission's data about service providers.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people who were detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 died in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Care Quality Commission publishes an annual report 'Monitoring the Mental Health Act' on the use of the Mental Health Act, looking at how providers are caring for patients, and whether patients' rights are being protected.This includes publicly available annual data on deaths of those detained under the Mental Health Act, all reports are available online at:http://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/major-report/monitoring-mental-health-act-report

Abortion

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many women have had to wait for longer than two weeks from their initial appointment for an abortion in each year since 2015.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of appointments for abortions in NHS hospital settings for women with complex medical conditions.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information on abortion waiting times is not collected centrally. The Department is aware of some issues around women with complex needs accessing abortion care. We are working with NHS England and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to improve abortion services for women with health co-morbidities – ensuring that National Health Service hospitals can expand their capacity and that staff have the right skills to provide appropriate care for these complex cases.

Halton Clinical Commissioning Group

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions Halton Clinical Commissioning Group has had with local hospitals on winter pressures; and at what level of the organisation those discussions took place.

Stephen Barclay: Partners and providers work collaboratively within the accident and emergency Delivery Board framework, with the most senior officers from Halton Clinical Commissioning Group attending monthly meetings and actively supporting plans. Agenda discussions include capacity planning, development of escalation plans, finance and other resource planning. In terms of responding to significant winter pressures, discussions are held almost daily at operational level with senior commissioners and senior operational leads. The purpose of these discussions is to understand capacity / demand and to agree operational actions to be taken. Health and Social Care executive to executive discussions have been held on a minimum of a once per week basis. These discussions focus on real time issues across health and social care, capacity and demand information provided through the senior operational leads and agreeing additional immediate actions to be taken to mitigate against pressures at the acute trust and wider health and social care system. Senior representatives from the Clinical Commissioning Group have attended Gold Command meetings at the Warrington Hospital site and the Whiston Hospital site at times of high demand / operational pressures over the winter period. This ensures rapid action and decision making to alleviate pressures on the hospital trusts during times of escalating demand.

Social Services: Older People

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish its green paper on older people's social care.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government has committed to publishing a Green Paper by the Summer 2018, setting out its proposals for reform. In developing the Green Paper, it is right that we take the time needed to debate the many complex issues and listen to the perspectives of experts and care users, building consensus around reforms which can succeed. We are currently undertaking a period of engagement where the Government is working with experts, stakeholders and users to shape the long-term reforms that will be proposed in the Green Paper.

Autism: Children

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average autism diagnosis waiting time for children under the age of 18 has been for each year since 2010.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the longest autism diagnosis waiting time for children under the age of 18 has been for each year since 2010.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average autism diagnosis waiting time for adults was in each year since 2010.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the longest autism diagnosis waiting time for adults was in each year since 2010.

Caroline Dinenage: This information requested is not held centrally. From April 2018, data on waiting times from referral for suspected autism to a first appointment and subsequent diagnosis will be collected within the Mental Health Services Data Set. The intention is to publish a first formal report on this data during 2019.

Obesity: Children

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children aged (a) four to five and (b) 10 to 11 years were recorded as obese in (i) England, (ii) London, (iii) each primary care trust in London and (iv) each London borough in 2016-17.

Steve Brine: The number of children aged four to five recorded as obese in 2016-17 in England was 60,502 and the number of children aged 10 to 11 recorded as obese in 2016-17 in England was 111,169. The number of children aged four to five recorded as obese in 2016-17 in London was 10,111 and the number of children aged 10 to 11 recorded as obese in 2016-17 in London was 20,379. The above figures originate from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) which can be accessed here: https://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB30113 The figures can also be obtained from Public Health England’s NCMP Local Authority Profile online data tool, available here: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/national-child-measurement-programme The data requested for each London Borough are available in the NCMP Local Authority Profile online data tool and for ease of access are provided as a separate attachment.



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Orkambi

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer to 21 March 2018 to Question 133791, what the outcome was of recent discussions with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence with reference to access to Orkambi for people with cystic fibrosis.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has procedures in place to review published technology appraisal guidance to determine whether there is significant new evidence that might call for its guidance to be updated. Departmental officials have had a number of discussions with NICE concerning its appraisal of Orkambi for the treatment of cystic fibrosis and NICE next plans to review its guidance in July 2019, but will bring forward the review date if significant new evidence comes to light before that date that might affect its recommendations.

Cystic Fibrosis

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2018 to Question 133793 on Cystic Fibrosis, what information his Department holds on the geographical spread in England of those people.

Steve Brine: No information is held by the Department on the geographical spread of people with cystic fibrosis in England. However, the UK Cystic Fibrosis Registry, sponsored and managed by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, records data on consenting people with cystic fibrosis in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Publicly available information from the registry includes an interactive map showing the distribution of cystic fibrosis across the United Kingdom. The interactive map can be found at the following link:www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/the-work-we-do/uk-cf-registry/reporting-and-resources/uk-distribution-of-cystic-fibrosis

Surgery: Halton

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many elective surgery cases for patients living in Halton constituency were cancelled between October 2017 and February 2018; and which procedures were so cancelled.

Stephen Barclay: Data is not available in the format requested. NHS England collects and publishes quarterly performance data on the number of last minute elective operations cancelled for non-clinical reasons at a national, commissioner and provider level. This can be accessed via NHS England’s statistical work areas webpage at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cancelled-elective-operations/cancelled-ops-data/ The National Emergency Pressures Panel (NEPP) met on 2 January 2018 and recommended that non-urgent operations be deferred until 31 January 2018 to increase capacity for emergency cases. NEPP’s recommendations to trusts were clear that cancer operations and procedures where deferral would lead to a deterioration in the patient’s condition were not in scope and should continue as planned. NHS England and NHS Improvement will undertake a review of the arrangements and interventions undertaken this winter, including the recommendations issued by NEPP on the deferment of patients’ routine elective treatment. For those patients who have not had new appointments, cancelled operations should be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity, taking into account patients’ clinical need.

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients: Halton

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in Halton constituency were detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each year since 2012.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In 2016/17 there were five uses of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 for which the data shows that the person detained was resident or registered with a general practitioner in the area served by Halton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Prior to 2016-17, Mental Health Act 1983 data was only collected in aggregate form and therefore cannot be broken down by CCG. Source: Mental Health Statistics Data Set.

Streptococcus

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with Public Health England to raise awareness of group B Strep; and how that work will feature in his Department's sepsis awareness campaign.

Caroline Dinenage: Public Health England (PHE) ran a sepsis campaign in partnership with the UK Sepsis Trust and the Department from December 2016 to April 2017 targeting parents of young children. The campaign raised awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis and when to seek urgent medical help. The campaign did not focus on the many specific causes of sepsis, such as group B Strep. Guidance on early onset neonatal group B Strep and other neonatal disease is provided by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/gtg36/ The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance is available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg149/chapter/4-research-recommendations

Dental Services

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what range of dental treatment was available on the NHS free of charge for people on low incomes in each of the last seven years.

Steve Brine: Dentists delivering National Health Service primary care dental treatment are required to provide all treatment that is clinically necessary to a patient regardless of whether the patient is exempt from dental charges or a fee payer. The NHS makes no distinction in treatment offered between these two groups. Dentists collect charges, where applicable, on behalf of the NHS. They pass these charges raised on to the NHS, they do not retain them.

Blood Diseases: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the take-up rate for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia screening for pregnant women in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry was in 2017.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia are carried out jointly as a blood test. The programme identifies people who are genetic carriers for sickle cell, thalassaemia and other haemoglobin disorders.Between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trusts had 5,925 women tested out of 5,989 eligible women (98.9% uptake).Between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 the West Midlands had 57,578 women tested out of 58,093 eligible women (99.1% uptake).During 2016/17 the national average for screening uptake in England was 99.3%.Further information is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-screening-programmes-kpi-reports-and-briefings-2016-to-2017NHS England is responsible for commissioning antenatal screening services to meet programme standards including coverage. NHS England is working with providers to help identify and address any issues and is committed to improving coverage and reducing morbidity from this condition.

Colorectal Cancer: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the take-up rate for bowel cancer home screening kits in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry was in 2017.

Steve Brine: The most recent data available is for 2016/17. During 2016/17 the national average for screening uptake was 58.8%. The uptake for Coventry was 56.4% (Coventry’s uptake rate is included in the West Midlands figure) and the West Midlands was 57.7% (this is a consolidated percentage based on all regions within the West Midlands). NHS England is responsible for commissioning bowel screening services to meet programme standards including coverage. NHS England is working with providers to help identify and address any issues and is committed to improving coverage and reducing mortality from bowel cancer.

Ascher's Syndrome

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of availability of treatments for patients diagnosed with Ascher's Syndrome.

Steve Brine: Individuals with Ascher’s syndrome will access a range of locally and nationally commissioned services according to their specific clinical needs. For example, genetic services would be able to offer advice on inheritance and, in some patients, plastic surgery to lip and eyelid might be offered. NHS England monitors the quality of all specialised services it commissions via its Quality Surveillance Team (QST). The QST produce annual profiles of services based on self-assessment against core requirements of the service specification, clinical outcomes and external monitoring such as Care Quality Commission assessments, undertaking peer review processes as required. Specialised paediatric craniofacial services are regularly monitored via this process. Whilst a specific review has not been undertaken from the unique perspective of patients with Ascher’s Syndrome, NHS England has been a key partner in the development and delivery of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases which responds to the feedback and needs of the approximately 3.5 million rare diseases patients in the United Kingdom.

Health

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the White Paper Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain fit for the future, published on 27 November 2017, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the equality of health outcomes between the north and south of England.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The causes of health inequalities are multi-faceted and highly complex. The Department’s aim is to take action to promote and support people to have healthier lifestyles and to tackle differences in access to, and outcomes from, our health and public health services. Action is led locally to ensure the solutions put in place reflect the needs of individual communities. To help we are investing more than £16 billion in local government public health services over the current spending period, in addition to free National Health Service vaccination and screening programmes, as well as funding for campaigns such as Be Clear on Cancer. These public health grants are ring-fenced, and are provided with a condition that health inequalities are considered in local spending.

Halton Hospital

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement of 28 March 2018 that Halton Hospital within Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was unsuccessful in its bid to receive Sustainability and Transformation Partnership capital funding, whether he plans to allocate additional funding for (a) capital investment and (b) health provision to that area.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's decision of 28 March 2018 not fund a new Hospital at Halton though sustainability and transformation partnership capital funding on the provision of health services in Halton and Warrington NHS Trust area.

Stephen Barclay: Following assessment by the Department, NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was not one of the successful bids for sustainability and transformation partnership (STP) capital funding announced on 28 March. NHS England and NHS Improvement will be providing written feedback to the Trust and there will be a further opportunity later in the year to submit new or revised bids. It is for the local STP (Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership) and the Trust, to set out in their proposals how they can drive health and service improvements in relation to the current services in making their case, demonstrate value for money, affordability and fit with the STP’s wider estates strategy.

Health Services: Freedom of Information

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to private healthcare providers in respect of information they hold on behalf of the NHS.

Stephen Barclay: The Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not apply directly to private healthcare providers. However, where private healthcare providers hold information on behalf of the National Health Service, should a Freedom of Information request be made for this information, NHS Improvement would be required to source the information from the private provider.

Social Services: Minimum Wage

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the sleep-in back pay liability for providers in Hampshire.

Caroline Dinenage: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Worsley and Eccles South (Barbara Keeley) on 26 February 2018 to Question 128962.

NHS: Finance

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to prioritise for addition to the Specials Tariff the shortlist of Specials prepared and agreed by the Royal Colleges of Paediatrics and Child Health and of Ophthalmologists, the Association for Palliative Medicine, the British Association of Dermatologists, Metabolic Medicine, Oral and Mucosal Medicine and the Society for Endocrinology.

Steve Brine: Since 2011, for the most commonly prescribed specials a reimbursement price is listed in the Drug Tariff. We have continued to expand the number of products for which there is a reimbursement price listed in the Drug Tariff by prioritising products of the highest cost to the National Health Service or highest prescribing volume, thus reducing the cost and the variation in what the NHS pays.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients: Children and Young People

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people aged (a) 16 or under and (b) 17-18 presenting in a mental health crisis were detained in a Section 136 suite for over four hours in each year since 2010.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Before 2016, data on detentions under the Mental Health Act 1983 were collected in aggregate form in the KP90 collection, which cannot be broken down any further by age or duration. From 2016, the information requested is collected, but could only be provided from the Mental Health Services Data Set at disproportionate cost.

Mental Health Services: North East

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2018 to Question 132059 on Mental Health Services: North East, in what format is the information requested held.

Jackie Doyle-Price: National Health Service statistics on beds is available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/bed-availability-and-occupancy This collection, KH03, collects the total number of available bed days and the total number of occupied bed days by consultant speciality.

Pregnancy: Infectious Diseases

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the level of screeing for infectious diseases in pregnant women in (a) West Midlands and (b) Coventry.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Screening is offered and recommended to all pregnant women in England as part of the United Kingdom National Screening Committee’s National Health Service Infectious Disease in Pregnancy Screening (IDPS) Programme. The aim of antenatal screening is not to promote uptake but to ensure that eligible women are able to make an informed choice as to whether to participate in screening or not. Coverage is measured in the IDPS programme and reports a steady increase in the number of eligible women taking up the offer to be screened. This has risen from 96% in 2010 to 99% in 2016 in England. Further information is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583576/hpr0217_naism.pdf Midwives and healthcare professionals offer screening to all pregnant women as part of their antenatal care package. The first offer to screen is at the start of the pregnancy and then a second reoffer at around 20 weeks. This is following a recommendation from a HIV expert review panel in response to findings from the Perinatal HIV Audit conducted by the National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood. Published data for coverage on screening for IDPS can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/682471/Screening_KPI_SummaryFactsheets_Feb2018_Issue2_V1.1.pdf

Medical Treatments: Waiting Lists

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in England have been waiting longer than (a) 52 weeks, (b) 104 weeks, (c) 156 weeks from referral to treatment in England.

Stephen Barclay: Data is not available in the format requested. NHS England publishes monthly data for Referral to Treatment waiting times on its statistical work areas website at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2017-18/ This includes data on the total number of incomplete patient treatments where the waiting time has been over 52 weeks, which in the latest reporting period of January 2018, was 1,869.

Health Professions: Vacancies

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hospital consultant posts are vacant; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of the number of hospital consultants working in the NHS.

Stephen Barclay: The Department does not hold information on the number of hospital consultant posts which are vacant. The Department has committed to a historic expansion of 1,500 undergraduate medical school places. On 20 March 2018, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the allocation of the new medical school places in England, including places at five brand new medical schools in Lancashire (Edge Hill University), Sunderland, Chelmsford (Anglia Ruskin University), Lincoln and Canterbury. Of the 1,500 new places, 630 will be available to students from this September. As at latest NHS Digital data, at December 2017, there are record numbers of full time equivalent consultants (including directors of public health) employed in the National Health Service, an increase of 10,249 (28.6%) since May 2010, up from 35,880 to 46,130 in December 2017.

NHS: Staff

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department (a) records and (b) publishes on the nationality of NHS staff.

Stephen Barclay: NHS Digital, an arm’s length body of the Department, publishes National Health Service Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) workforce statistics, which is drawn from the electronic staff record (ESR), and this includes data on the nationality of staff working in the NHS in England. Nationality data from NHS Digital also includes statistics for staff employed at two foundation trusts which do not use ESR (Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust). Nationality data is published on a quarterly basis in, March, June, September and December of each year in headcount and full-time equivalent. This data is available from September 2015 to latest data as at December 2017. This includes data on the following: - All staff by nationality and staff group in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs);- Joiners and leavers to and from NHS trusts and CCGs in England, by nationality and age; and- Joiners and leavers to and from NHS trusts and CCGs by nationality, grade, staff group and Health Education England region.

Cancer: Nurses

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cancer clinical nurse specialists were working in the NHS in the last period for which figures are available.

Steve Brine: The number of cancer clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) is not routinely collected. Macmillan Cancer Support is due publish to the latest CNS census in spring 2018. In the 2016 Cancer Patient Experience Survey, 90% of patients reported being given the name of a CNS who would support them through their treatment. Health Education England's first ever Cancer Workforce Plan, published in December 2017, made the commitment to support the expansion of CNSs so that every patient has access to a CNS or other support worker by 2021. This will be achieved by developing national competencies and a clear route into training.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of alcohol misuse in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: Unit costs of healthcare in hospitals are available at the level of treatments and procedures but it is not always possible to show if these are alcohol related so the exact costs annually are unknown. However, it is estimated that the cost to the National Health Service in England from alcohol misuse are around £3.5 billion each year.

Hepatitis

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of people with (a) Stage 1 Hepatitis C and (b) with Stage 1 Hepatitis C and HIV have registered with the England Infected Blood Support Scheme; and how many and what proportion of people in each of those groups were successful in their application.

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people (a) with Stage 1 Hepatitis C, (b) Stage 2 Hepatitis C, (c) Stage 1 Hepatitis C and HIV, (d) Stage 2 Hepatitis C and HIV, (e) HIV and (f) the bereaved former partners of those affected by these viruses are registered with the England Infected Blood Support Scheme.

Jackie Doyle-Price: All beneficiaries registered with the five former infected blood payments schemes were written to and asked to give their consent for their details to be passed to the new administrator NHS Business Services Authority. The numbers of beneficiaries currently registered with the England Infected Blood Support Scheme administered by the NHS Business Services Authority are as follows, this includes all of those who gave consent to their details being transferred and any new, successful applicants:Beneficiary groupNumbers registered with NHS Business Services Authority as of 4 April 2018 (this includes all new successful registrants)Hepatitis C - Stage 11,399Hepatitis C - Stage 1 and HIV113Hepatitis C - Stage 2644Hepatitis C - Stage 2 and HIV63HIV311Bereaved former partners189 We have interpreted the question about applications to be about new applications to the support schemes. Since 1 November 2017, 24 new registrant applications have been approved.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Special Category Mechanism (SCM) applications were (a) submitted and (b) accepted, in respect of answer to (i) Section 5A, (ii) Section 6A, (iii) Section 6B and (iv) Section 7 of the SCM application form.

Jackie Doyle-Price: As of 4 April 2018, NHS Business Services Authority has received 731 applications for the Special Category Mechanism (SCM) under the England Infected Blood Support Scheme. All SCM applications are looked at as a whole and as every completed section needs to be taken into account information is not available for individual parts of the form.

NHS: Fees and Charges

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the proposals in the consultation, Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: A consultation on guidance for CCGs do not contravene the principle in the NHS constitution whereby access to NHS services is based on clinical need and not an individual’s ability to pay and NHS services are free of charge except in limited circumstances sanctioned by Parliament.

Steve Brine: NHS England, in partnership with NHS Clinical Commissioners (the organisation that represents clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)) has recently published CCG guidance setting out recommendations on conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care. This guidance has not introduced any charges for NHS services; it does however outline appropriate prescribing for the 35 conditions specified. The guidance issued is commissioning guidance for CCGs in England only, and is not a clinical guideline and as such, it does not affect a general practitioner’s (GP) ability to determine what the cause of specified symptoms are, to make a diagnosis and then to act appropriately. Furthermore, any such guidance does not preclude the ability of an individual to access their GP for whatever symptoms they are experiencing, to seek advice and appropriate treatment. In addition there are several exceptions within the guidance that outline specific scenarios (i.e. long term or complex conditions that require over the counter treatments, vulnerable patients, to treat side effects of other prescription only drugs) where prescribing should continue.

Health Services: Equality

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the implementation of guidance following the consultation, Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care: A consultation on guidance for CCGs achieves objective 1 of the Government’s mandate to NHS England on reducing health inequalities.

Steve Brine: NHS England has statutory requirements to improve quality, reduce inequalities, promote patient involvement and promote more integrated services, innovation, research, and education and training. The Secretary of State sets out objectives in the mandate and holds NHS England to account for both objectives and key statutory duties through the six monthly mandate assurance report, and by publishing an annual assessment of NHS England’s performance in response to its annual report. The mandate is the primary formal accountability mechanism between the Secretary of State and NHS England. NHS England, in partnership with NHS Clinical Commissioners (the organisation that represents clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)) has recently published CCG guidance setting out recommendations on Conditions for which over the counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care. This guidance outlines appropriate prescribing for the 35 conditions specified. The guidance issued is commissioning guidance for CCGs in England only, and is not a clinical guideline and as such, it does not affect a general practitioner’s ability to determine what the cause of specified symptoms are, to make a diagnosis and then to act appropriately. NHS England also published a full Equality and Health Inequalities Impact Assessment with the guidance which covers groups protected by the Equality Act 2010. A copy of the document can be accessed at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/medicines/conditions-for-which-over-the-counter-items-should-not-routinely-be-prescribed/

Smoking

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people who take up smoking.

Steve Brine: The Government has a proven track record in reducing the harm that tobacco causes. Last year, we published a new tobacco control plan to build on that success. In this plan we commit to reducing smoking prevalence from 15.5% to 12% among adults, from 10.7% to 6% among pregnant women and from 8% to 3% in young people by 2022.

Life Expectancy

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the gap in life expectancy between people from affluent and low-income communities.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The causes of health inequalities are multi-faceted and highly complex. The Department’s aim is to take action to promote and support people to have healthier lifestyles and to tackle differences in access to, and outcomes from, our health and public health services. Our commitment and approach to tackling health inequalities – and social injustice – is underpinned by the legal duty enshrined in the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, which is to work to reduce inequalities. We have introduced transparent high level measures to reduce health inequalities in the Public Health Outcomes Framework and NHS Outcomes Framework. In March 2015, we published an additional list of selected NHS Outcomes Framework indicators for which health inequalities data has been made available. We have also recently published the NHS Mandate for 2018/19 and the Public Health England (PHE) Remit letter for 2018/19 which clearly set out those organisations’ responsibilities and work on reducing inequalities in health. Tackling health inequalities is a core part of PHE’s Strategic Vision for 2020. Statistics, evidence and tools are being developed to support action by local authorities and the wider public health system to take effective action on health equity. There is more to do to systematically address inequalities and NHS England aims to improve and measure the impact of their programmes and also better support local commissioners and providers in their work. The NHS England Board discussed health inequalities and life expectancy at a meeting in March 2018, and plans are being developed to take work forward. The board paper – Item 9 - on health inequalities is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-england-board-meeting-papers-29-march-2018/

Prime Minister

AggregateIQ

Deidre Brock: To ask the Prime Minister, how many meetings with (a) staff and (b) representatives of AggregateIQ have taken place in No10 in each year since 2010; what the purpose was of those meetings; and who represented the Government at those meetings.

Mrs Theresa May: Officials and advisers have meetings with a wide range of individuals and organisations on a wide range of subjects.

Department for Work and Pensions

Unemployment: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the change in the level of unemployment in (a) Coventry South constituency, (b) Coventry and (c) the West Midlands in the last 12 months.

Alok Sharma: The level of unemployment in Coventry Local Authority District, estimated using the Annual Population Survey, stood at 9,100 in the year to September 2017 - down from 13,700 in the year to September 2010. The level of unemployment in the West Midlands, estimated using the Labour Force Survey, stood at 141,000 in the quarter to January 2018 – down from 160,000 in the same period a year ago, and from 247,000 before the 2010 election (the quarter to April 2010). This is consistent with the continuing improvements in the wider economy. The UK’s unemployment rate is currently 4.3% and has not been lower since 1975. The employment rate in the UK stands at a joint record high of 75.3% and there are a near record 816,000 vacancies throughout the economy. Note: The sub-regional data is estimated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), using the Annual Population Survey. The regional data is estimated from the ONS Labour Force Survey. The level of unemployment in Coventry South Parliamentary Constituency Area was estimated at 3,300 in the year to September 2017. This figure is subject to a high degree of statistical uncertainty due to very small sample sizes upon which this estimate is based. This means we cannot make a reliable comparison to the year to September 2016 estimate.

Social Security Benefits: Automated Credit Transfer

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring claims for a male-female couple to be paid into (a) the woman's bank account and (b) a joint bank account; and what representations her Department received from (i) NGOs and (ii) other organisations on that matter.

Kit Malthouse: The law provides for the splitting of benefit payments where the Secretary of State considers it to be in the interests of the claimants or children for whom they are responsible. The Department does not receive representations routinely requesting that payment is split, but of course would readily consider any such requests.

Personal Income

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average net weekly household income was for people in (a) Coventry South constituency, (b) the West Midlands, (c) London, (d) the South East, (e) England and (f) the UK in each of the last five years.

Kit Malthouse: National statistics on the number of people living in in-work relative low income are set out in the annual "Households Below Average Income" publication. Average incomes are not available at constituency or ward level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. However figures at a regional level are available as a three year rolling average. National figures are available for individual years. Figures on average incomes by region and for England can be found in the link below, in table 2.5ts, and sets out median and mean incomes before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC). Figures for the UK can be found in table 2.1ts, which shows UK income deciles but also the median and mean incomes, both before and after housing costs.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691966/income-values-and-inequality-measures-hbai-1994-95-2016-17-tables.ods

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women aged between 60 and 65 are in receipt of the state pension; the level at which that state pension is paid; and how many women aged between 60 and 65 only receive their National Insurance contributions in (a) Coventry and (b) West Midlands.

Guy Opperman: As at August 2017, the most recent date for which figures are available, there were 2,580 women in Coventry and 56,305 women in West Midlands aged between 60 and 65 years of age (inclusive) in receipt of State Pension. The average weekly amount received by these women was £141.29 in Coventry and £139.93 in West Midlands. Of these, 2,331 in Coventry and 50,784 in the West Midlands received a State Pension based on their own National Insurance contributions; either a Category A pension under the pre-2016 system, or from April 2016 under the new State Pension (nSP). Please note that these statistics are publically available via DWP’s dissemination tool Stat-Xplore: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml

Department for Work and Pensions: Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she or her predecessors met with representatives of the SCL group or Cambridge Analytica; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: There have been no such meetings.

Department for Work and Pensions: Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department or any of it agencies or associated public bodies has had contracts with SCL group or Cambridge Analytica; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The Department’s e-procurement system does not hold any created/active/archived/terminated contracts with SCL Group or Cambridge Analytica.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department spent on facilitating mandatory reconsiderations relating to (a) employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payment claims in each year since 2009-10.

Sarah Newton: Direct costs can be provided only for the years included in the following table-  Mandatory Reconsiderations £000'sFinancial YearESA Direct CostPIP Direct CostsPIP Reassessments Direct Costs2012/13£ -£ -£ -2013/14£ 3,127£ 279£ -2014/15£ 14,552£ 2,810£ -2015/16£ 9,692£ 5,352£ 2,1492016/17£ 10,712£ 8,895£ 5,005  Notes: The above table represents Operating costs only. These are defined as direct costs relating to staff undertaking the activities (staff and local non-staff costs only). They do not include wider DWP overheads. PIP Reassessments Direct Costs are shown separately and are costs attributed to transfer of the DLA caseload. In terms of years asked for, please note the Departments DABM system began recording these benefits as follows:ESA began in 2013/14 & PIP began late 2013/14This data is derived from the Departments Activity Based Model (ABM) and/or Departmental Activity Based Model (DABM) and is unpublished management information which was collected for internal Departmental use only. It has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standards. The data is frequently revised and changes to the definitions/benefits effect comparisons over time. It should therefore be treated with caution and as an indication and not as a definitive cost.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the HM Courts and Tribunals Service data published by her Department on 8 March 2018 on appeals to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal, if she will publish the data on (a) employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payment appeals as a proportion of the total number of such claims submitted in each year since 2009-10.

Sarah Newton: The number of Personal Independent Payment's (PIP) cleared, by decision type, can be via Stat X-Plore: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required from Stat-Xplore can be found at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html. The number of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) clearances, by decision type, can be found in the official published statistics: “ESA: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments including mandatory reconsiderations and appeals: March 2018”. The relevant data can be found in Table 1a. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2018 The latest available data on volumes of appeals lodged for both Personal Independence Payment and Employment Support Analysis can be found in quarterly published statistics from the Ministry of Justice: “Tribunals and gender recognition certificate statistics quarterly: October to December 2017”. The relevant data can be found in table SSCS.1 in the Main Tables document: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2018

Personal Independence Payment: Autism

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment has he made of the accuracy of medical assessments for personal independence payment claimants who have autism.

Sarah Newton: The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment is not a medical assessment requiring the assessor to diagnose a condition and recommend treatment options. It is a needs based assessment which considers how an individual’s condition(s) affects their ability to undertake everyday tasks. The Department continually monitors the performance of contracted suppliers including the requirements for delivering high quality and accurate assessments to all claimants regardless of their condition.All Health Professionals undertaking PIP assessments must be registered practitioners who have also met requirements around training and competence. They must be an occupational therapist, level 1 nurse, physiotherapist, paramedic or doctor and must also be fully registered and have at least 2 years post full-registration experience, although this can be waived in exceptional circumstances by the Department. All Health Professionals receive training on a wide range of conditions, including autism, as part of their initial new entrant training. This includes detailed modules covering all aspects of autism and learning disabilities, as well as simulated assessments to enable Health Professionals to understand how these conditions impact on a person’s ability to undertake the activities in the PIP assessment. This is followed by on-going professional training and support which continues for the duration of their employment in the role. All Health Professionals are subject to on-going audit by our Assessment Providers to ensure that they deliver high quality assessments.We are continually working with the Assessment Providers to further improve the quality of all assessments including increasing clinical coaching, feedback and support available to each assessor. We are undertaking more observations of assessments and our independent audit of assessment reports ensures that the advice provided to the Department’s decision makers is of suitable quality, fully explained and justified.

Employment and Support Allowance: Scotland

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people making a claim for employment and support allowance have waited over one year for a medical assessment in (a) Scotland and (b) Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in the last five years.

Sarah Newton: The specific information requested is not collated and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment: Visual Impairment

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2018 to Question 133913, on Personal Independence Payment: Visual Impairment, for what reason the Certificate of Visual Impairment is deemed not to provide sufficient information for a comprehensive assessment of functional visual ability.

Sarah Newton: The assessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) looks at an individual’s ability to carry out a series of key everyday activities which are fundamental to living an independent life. These activities include their ability to prepare, cook and eat food, dress and undress, make budgeting decisions, manage and monitor their health condition, engage with other people, and plan and follow journeys. The Certificate of Visual Impairment provides information on visual ability but is insufficient for a comprehensive assessment of the extent to which a claimant is capable of carrying out the various PIP activities independently.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) Ofcom and (b) the Phone-paid Services Authority on call connection service access to the helplines her Department provides; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: Officials from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have met a number of times and discussed call connection services. DCMS have held follow up discussions with Ofcom and the Phone-paid Services Authority (the regulator of Premium Rate Services) and will be bringing together all parties on this issue.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to ensure that (a) the gov.uk website and (b) internet providers advertise the correct information on the cost of calls to her Department's helplines; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: a) All information is controlled centrally and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) regularly reviews and updates the data on the cost of calls held on gov.uk to ensure it remains accurate. The Department has updated all relevant DWP pages on gov.uk with the freephone numbers that were introduced by the end of 2017. b) Where the Department identifies that a website fails to publicise, or advertises incorrect call costs, we will make a referral to the National Trading Standards Board (NTSB) to investigate and prosecute if appropriate following investigation. The Department is also working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to maximise the use of regulatory powers for Premium Rate Telephony services. c) The Department also attends the cross government working party on misleading websites, sharing knowledge and best practices in dealing with those websites who seek to make profit from misleading citizens.

Christians against Poverty: Jobclubs

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to job clubs run by Christians Against Poverty; what the nature of that support is; and at which locations those job clubs are based.

Alok Sharma: The Department works in collaboration with a number of external organisations to ensure claimants are able to access the support they need. We have been working with Christians Against Poverty (CAP) since April 2012, with CAP offering a wide range of free non contracted provisions that Work Coaches can signpost claimants towards. This includes job clubs, debt help and money management courses to help claimants overcome barriers to employment.Relationships with CAP are managed at a local level across the Jobcentre network. Information on the local services provided by CAP is available to staff via our District Provision Tool. This digital tool lists local and national provision and support delivered by Jobcentre Plus, Skills Funding Agency, Skills Development Scotland, Careers Wales, other providers, local authorities, and independent and volunteer organisations.

Employment and Support Allowance: Scotland

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants have been successful on appeal at tribunal against decisions to reject those claims in (a) Scotland and (b) Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency in each of the last three years.

Sarah Newton: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, how many and what proportion of claimants of universal credit have been subject to a deduction in their standard allowance in each of the past twelve months.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, how many and what proportion of claimants of monthly awards for universal credit have had greater than 40 per cent of the standard allowance taken in deductions and recoveries during the last 12 months for which information is available.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, how many and what proportion of claimants have had 40 per cent or more of their standard allowance deducted in (a) one and (b) more than one month, in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, how many and what proportion of claimants have had (a) 20 per cent and (b) more than 20 per cent of their standard allowance taken off in (i) one and (ii) more than one month in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, what the average proportion of claimants’ standard allowance was in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, what the average amount taken was from a claimants standard allowance in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit deductions for (a) rent and (b) service charges have been taken at the (i) 20 per cent higher rate, (ii) between 10 per cent and 20 per cent and (iii) the 10 per cent lower rate in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average rate was of deductions from universal credit for (a) rent and (b) service charges in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit deductions for (a) fines and (b) compensation orders are taken at (i) £108.35, (ii) a rate between 5 percent of standard allowance and £108.35 and (iii) 5 per cent of standard allowance in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average rate was at which deductions from universal credit were made to pay (a) fines and (b) compensation orders in the last 12 months for which information is available.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Private Rented Housing: Universal Credit

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on the availability of private rented accommodation for households in receipt of the housing element of that benefit.

Kit Malthouse: Universal Credit provides housing support to working-age claimants broadly in line with the previous Housing Benefit support. In December, 44% of households claiming housing support under Universal Credit were in the Private Rental Sector. We continue to engage with stakeholders in the Private Rental Sector to assess the effect of Universal Credit. Universal Credit is already significantly improving the rate at which those claiming benefits return to work. Being in employment improves the housing choices of those who would otherwise have remained dependent on benefits.

Occupational Pensions

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a system of automatic transfers for individuals who have multiple jobs during their working life.

Guy Opperman: The Government’s priority for private pension savers in 2018 remains the successful roll-out of automatic enrolment. Automatic enrolment has led to more than 9.4 million employees being automatically enrolled in a workplace pension, with more than 1.1 million employers meeting their duties, as of the end of February 2018. Industry shares this priority. With 94% of eligible jobholders automatically enrolled in an occupational defined contribution scheme enrolled in a Master Trust, scheme managers and trustees are focused on preparing for compliance with the authorisation and supervision regime introduced by the Pension Schemes Act 2017. These reforms increase the number of people saving into workplace pensions and ensure confidence in the system. Government, providers, employers and members should focus on these changes. It is therefore not the right time to implement automatic transfers. All those with a defined contribution pension pot have a statutory right to transfer to another pension scheme of their choice and can use the Pension Tracing Service to identify pension pots they have accumulated with former employers. Members could also benefit from the introduction of the pensions dashboard, which should make it easier to see all their pots in one place when they choose to do so. This would enable them to feel in control and take ownership of their pensions. We are currently conducting a feasibility study and aim to publish our findings later in spring 2018.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the trends in the level of delays to employment support allowance hearing as a result of the absence Departmental representatives at those hearings.

Sarah Newton: Departmental representatives are not required to attend all appeal hearings at the First-tier Tribunal. When Employment and Support Allowance Presenting Officers do attend their role is to support the Tribunal to make the correct decision. They also provide valuable insight into why decisions are overturned, and are helping to identify improvements that could be made to the claimant journey.

Welfare State: Mental Illness

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress her Department has made in implementing recommendations 7 and 11 of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.

Sarah Newton: The Work and Health Programme is now in place across England and Wales, offering a more personalised local approach to supporting disabled people and those with mental health conditions to overcome barriers to employment. Better integration of health support is a particular priority, and providers will deliver integrated support to customers with multiple barriers. Across the whole programme we have been guided by the evidence, learning from the best of the Work Programme and Work Choice, and have set up the programme with high quality evaluation built in.As the Government confirmed in its response to recommendation 7 of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, individuals, even with similar barriers or characteristics, can respond differently to those barriers, and so require tailored support. This is why we have elected to give providers considerable freedom in how they support claimants to move into lasting work rather than specify particular services. This is supported by a payment model which gives providers a strong incentive to deliver outcomes, including a price accelerator element which seeks to deliver better performance by increasing the return for investment for those who are harder to help.The key area on recommendation 11 is to stress that “The Government announced in October 2017 that it no longer intends to extend Local Housing Allowance rates to social sector tenants and in particular to those living in supported housing. The Government has also made clear that it is keen to ensure that those living in supported housing, and those who provide it, receive appropriate protection. The welfare system will therefore continue to fund long-term supported accommodation along with sheltered and extra care housing.

Employment: Down's Syndrome

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that there are employment opportunities for people with Down's Syndrome.

Sarah Newton: The Government is strongly committed to increasing opportunities for disabled people, including those with a learning disabilty, such as Down’s Syndrome. Taking a life course approach, we are working across Government and with local authorities, voluntary organisations and employers in the public and private sectors to achieve this. On Thursday 30 November 2017 we published ‘Improving Lives the Future of Work,Health and Disability’, which sets out details of our life course approach to improving employment opportunities for disabled people and people with a health condition. Whilst the initiatives are not all aimed exclusively at people with a learning disability, we expect that many will benefit from them. Our plans include:A proof of concept for a Tri-work Supported Work Experience offer in schools will be tested in three jobcentre districts and will provide a supported work experience placement of up to two weeks for pupils in Year 10 or 11 who have special educational needs, many of whom are likely to have a learning disability or difficulty. We have developed a Supported Work Experience aimed at offering young people with a learning disability and other long term conditions a chance to spend time with an employer whilst receiving the support they need to make the most from the opportunity. These young people will be identified by Work Coaches and other professionals who will encourage them to volunteer if it is right for them. The young person may be claiming benefit, or in the latter years of their educationA Local Supported Employment proof of concept is being delivered with nine local authorities. DWP is investing £2.7 million to test an approach which delivers Supported Employment, on an outcome-payment basis, to help people with a learning disability or learning difficulty who are known to adult care servicesWe are introducing 200 Community Partners to Jobcentres across Great Britain, to enhance our services to people with a disability or health condition. Community Partners have a lived experience or expert knowledge of disability and provide valuable insight into how disability can affect an individual’s employment outcomes, both in terms of securing and sustaining employment. Many of the Community Partners will have a specialism and 11 will be specialists in learning disabilities and neurodiverse conditions. Access to Work has put in place a Hidden Impairment Specialist Team that gives advice to help employers support employees with conditions such as a learning disability. It also offers eligible people an assessment to find out their needs at work and help to develop a support planEmployers signing up to the Disability Confident scheme agree to make specific meaningful offers of opportunities for disabled people such as jobs, apprenticeships, internships and work experience. 5,964 businesses are currently signed up to Disability Confident, and this number continues to grow.

Home Office

Bank Services: Fraud

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to enable people to claim compensation from banks when monies are fraudulently transferred from their accounts.

Mr Ben Wallace: When an individual has had money fraudulently taken from their account, such as an unauthorised payment or ‘card not present’ fraud, in most circumstances the payment services provider must reimburse the customer for their loss. In other types of fraud, where an individual has been tricked into authorising the payment to the fraudster, commonly known as Authorised Push Payment scams (APP), consumers have less protection. The Government recognises that fraudulent transactions of this type can significantly impact those affected. The Joint Fraud Taskforce (JFT) and Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) have work in hand which will make it easier for victims of this type of fraud to claim compensation or receive a reimbursement following their loss. The PSR has now consulted on a ‘contingent reimbursement model’ for victims of APP scams and has established a steering group of consumer representatives and banks, including the Home Office, to design an industry code by September 2018, with a view to the final code being in place in early 2019. The aim of this code is to reduce the incidence of APP scams, and set out rules on how industry should reimburse consumers in certain scenarios. The long term ambition of the JFT is to introduce a funds repatriation scheme. The scheme will enable banking providers to trace, freeze then return stolen money back to the victims of fraud. We are currently working with the private sector to assess the legal and regulatory issues with implementing a fully functioning scheme.

Deportation

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential (a) merits and (b) savings to the public purse of alternatives to the use of detention in monitoring people facing removal from the UK.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office uses a number of tools to ensure that the vast majority of individuals who are liable to removal from the UK are managed in the community. These include reporting mechanisms, a new simplified immigration bail, and electronic monitoring for some foreign national offenders.We regularly review our practices, taking account of external research into alternatives to detention. Following a recent meeting between officials and representatives of the UNHCR and from Canada and Sweden, to discuss best practice, opportunities for further work are being explored with a range of faith and community groups and other non-governmental organisations. The merits and associated costs will be an integral part of this ongoing work.

Cross Border Cooperation: North America

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she last met  her (a) US and (b) Canadian counterparts to discuss cross-border customs checks between those two countries.

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries she has visited to observe border control operations.

Caroline Nokes: The Secretary of State for the Home Department meets her American and Canadian counterparts regularly to discuss a range of issues in bilateral meetings and at multilateral events, including their border arrangements.The Secretary of State for the Home Department has visited a range of countries to discuss a variety of issues, including border security operations.

Passports: British Embassy Dublin

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passport applications the British embassy in Dublin approved in each of the last three years; and of those applications what proportion were (a) for new and (b) to renew passports.

Caroline Nokes: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 26 March 2018, UIN 133389.

Refugees: Iraq

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Iraqi citizens have been resettled under the (a) Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and (b) Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office is committed to publishing data in an orderly way as part of the regular quarterly Immigration Statistics, in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release A quarterly breakdown of resettlements by scheme and nationality is published in table as19q of the Asylum data tables volume 4.

Refugees: Sexual Offences

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the provision of specialist support for victims of sexual violence resettled under the (a) Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and (b) Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the level of availability of specialist support for victims of sexual violence resettled under the (a) Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and (b) Vulnerable Children's Resettlement Scheme.

Caroline Nokes: Eligibility for the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) is based on established vulnerability criteria used by the UNHCR, which includes those who have been victims of sexual violence and torture. The ability to plan for the arrival in the UK of these refugees has meant that we are able to provide appropriate support upon arrival. This involves planning for their accommodation and providing caseworker support to access public services, including access to health services.Local authorities are notified of the reason for resettlement ahead of arrival to assist the provision of the appropriate support including referral to mental health services and specialist services for victims of torture. Local authorities are best placed to determine what is the appropriate intervention, which could include a referral to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARCs). SARCs provide health care, access to Independent Sexual Assault Advisor (ISVA) support, and therapeutic services to victims of rape or sexual assault. Victims are provided with onward referrals to other health and social care services according to the victims’ needs. There are 47 SARCs across England.

Offences against Children: Internet

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) statutory powers of the police to pursue crimes involving online child abuse images and (b) the funding available to police to pursue those crimes.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government is clear that the police must have both appropriate and proportionate powers to tackle such appalling crimes, and we work closely with them to ensure that this is so. We have prioritised child sexual abuse as a national threat - one of only six such threats that require prioritisation by the police.Ministers spoke with all police forces ahead of the 2018/19 funding settlement and recognise that the police face increasing demand in complex investigations such as child sexual abuse. We responded by empowering Police and Crime Commissioners to increase their funding through Council Tax precept by around £270m next year and we also provide support to forces facing exceptional costs through the Police Special Grant. It is an operational decision for chief officers to determine how to use their available resources.

Migrant Workers

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 1.8 of the Migration Advisory Committee’s report of 27 March 2018, EEA-workers in the UK labour market: Interim Update, what steps he plans to take to address employers' concerns that without employing migrants, they would not be able to address the skill shortages they are currently facing.

Caroline Nokes: The Government is considering a range of options for the future immigration system and will set out initial plans in due course. We will build a comprehensive picture of the needs and interests of all parts of the UK and look to develop a system which works for all. We will make decisions on the future immigration system based on evidence and engagement, which why we asked the independent Migration Advisory Committee to advise on the economic and social impacts of the UK’s exit from the EU and also on how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy. The MAC is due to provide a final report in September.

Immigrants: Children and Young People

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what step her Department is taking support (a) child and (b) young adult migrants on arrival in the UK.

Caroline Nokes: If the migrant is an unaccompanied child they are supported by the local authority under the Children Act 1989 or equivalent legislation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland If the migrant is an asylum seeker and over the age of 18, or the dependant of an adult asylum seeker, they are supported by the Home Office if they would otherwise be destitute. The support usually consists of accommodation and a weekly cash allowance to cover their or their family’s essential living needs.

Members: Correspondence

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to three related letters from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich dated 21 August 2017, 22 November 2017 and 22 January 2018 regarding his constituent’s enquiry on the performance of UK Visas and Immigration.

Caroline Nokes: I apologise for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. I will respond separately.

Refugees: English Language

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will increase funding for accredited English language teaching for refugees.

Caroline Nokes: The Government has provided additional funding of £10m under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme for more English classes, childcare facilities, and local coordination of English language provision for refugees. English language tuition is also available to refugees under arrangements for adult learners. The Department for Education (DfE) is responsible for the Adult Education Budget. The Home Office will work closely with DfE and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop the proposal for an English language Strategy for England that is set out in the Integrated Communities Strategy published on 14 March.

Human Trafficking: Sudan

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress has been made on the Khartoum process in relation to human trafficking in the Mediterranean.

Caroline Nokes: The Khartoum Process has made good progress to address people smuggling and human trafficking in the Horn of Africa. The UK chaired two thematic meetings in 2016 and 2017 and Egypt hosted a trilateral meeting (Khartoum/Rabat Processes and Horn of Africa Initiative) in November 2017 to understand progress to date; ongoing challenges and the solutions needed for a joined-up and concerted response. The Khartoum Process has approved 147 programmes under its Better Migration Management (BMM) programme in this area and it also continues to implement the Regional Operation Centre of Khartoum (ROCK) which aims to improve cooperation and information sharing between law enforcement agencies to effectively disrupt the people smuggling and trafficking rings exploiting migrants. The 2018 Italian Chairmanship will build upon these efforts with further thematic and training workshops alongside a review of thematic conclusions to ensure tangible future delivery.

Police: Cheshire

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers were employed in (a) Halton constituency and (b) Cheshire in each year since 2010.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers employed by each police force in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins. The Home Office does not collect this information by constituency. The latest data available on the number of police officers in Cheshire, as at 30 September 2017, can be found in the Table 1 of the police workforce statistics published in January 2018:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675788/police-workforce-tables-jan17.ods Data on the number of police officers in Cheshire, as at 31 March each year back to March 2007, can be found in the accompanying Open Data Table: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629362/open-data-table-police-workforce.ods

Visas

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken to conclude a visa application was in each of the last seven years; and steps her Department is taking to reduce the time it takes to process such applications.

Caroline Nokes: Performance against service standards for processing of visas is published in the Migration Transparency data at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-february-2018 "

Knives: Crime

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on tackling knife crime in each of the last seven years.

Victoria Atkins: It is not possible to disaggregate all funding for tackling knife crime as it is provided through a number of routes. This includes funding for police forces in England and Wales and our overall investment in policing will grow from £11.9 billion in 2015/16 to around £13 billion in 2018/19. Our work to tackle knife crime has been taken forward through the Ending Gang and Youth Violence programme and the subsequent Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation programme.In October 2017, we launched our anti-knife crime Community Fund through which we awarded £765,000 to 47 successful projects to support local communities tackle knife crime, and we announced in March up to a £1million for a new round of the Community Fund in 2018/19 and this will be launched later this Spring. We have also just launched a new £1.3 million national media campaign under the banner of #knifefree which is aimed at 10 -21 years old and is aimed at bringing home the consequences of carrying a knife and to inspire young people to take up more positive activities.On 9 April, we published the Serious Violence Strategy to take action to address serious violence and in particular the recent increases in knife crime, gun crime and homicide. The strategy represents a step change in the way we think and respond to serious violence. Our approach is not solely focused on law enforcement, very important as that is, but depends also on partnerships across a number of sectors such as education, health, social services, housing, youth services, victim services and others.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tier 2 visa applications for positions in Scotland were accepted, declined or deferred in each month from September 2016 to March 2018.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tier 2 visa applications for positions in Wales were accepted, declined or deferred in each month from September 2016 to March 2018.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tier 2 visa applications for positions in Northern Ireland were accepted, declined or deferred in each month from September 2016 to March 2018.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tier 2 visa applications for positions in England were accepted, declined or deferred in each month from September 2016 to March 2018.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many tier 2 visa applications for positions in the NHS were accepted, declined or deferred in each month from September 2016 to March 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The information you have requested is not included in statistics published by the Home Office broken down into the UK Regions. The available information on allocations of Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-sponsorship-restricted-certificate-allocations/allocations-of-restricted-certificates-of-sponsorship. Published statistics on the total number of Tier 2 refusals can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017/list-of-tables#visas

Firearms: Licensing

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the estimated net cost to the public purse in England is of gun licensing and certification.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on ensuring that the costs to the public purse of gun licensing and certification are covered by the fees charged to the public for those licenses and certificates.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government is committed to ensuring an efficient and effective firearms licensing system and to achieving full cost recovery for the police and Home Office. Fees for firearm and shotgun licences issued by the police were last increased in 2015 and were calculated with a view to enabling police forces to achieve full cost recovery. These fees are currently being reviewed to assess any changes in police costs. The Home Office administers applications for firearms licences made by museums with gun collections, approved shooting clubs, and dealers wishing to possess prohibited firearms. The Policing and Crime Act 2017 created a power to charge new fees for these licences. We sought views on proposals for new fees in a public consultation in 2017. Alongside the consultation, we published an impact assessment, which set out the estimated net costs of the system. We received around 5,000 responses to the consultation, which we have considered carefully. We undertook to review the proposed level of fees before they were finalised and officials are currently in discussion with groups representing licensed firearms holders. A Government response will be published shortly.

Immigrants: Detainees

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation her Department undertook on the definition of torture set out in The Detention Centre (Amendment) Rules 2018 and the Immigration Act 2016: Revised Guidance on adults at risk in immigration detention published on 21st March, S.I No. 411/2018, published on 21 March 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The new definition of torture and the revised statutory guidance on adults at risk in immigration detention give effect to a recent court judgment. Whilst there was no obligation to consult on these changes, officials have engaged with interested stakeholders. Officials will continue this engagement on the corresponding caseworker guidance and training. Additionally, the Detention Centre Rules 2001 will be reviewed later this year and will be the subject of consultation.

Vetting: Construction

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received reports of disciplinary action initiated against Special Branch officers communicating with organisations or individuals that blacklisted construction workers.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she and her predecessors were briefed by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner on Special Branch officers communicating with organisations or individuals that blacklisted construction workers.

Mr Nick Hurd: Investigations, including those into allegations of police wrongdoing and any decisions in relation to the bringing of disciplinary proceedings, are operational matters for police forces and are carried out independently of Government. The Government is not routinely informed of the progress of ongoing investigations including any decisions related to disciplinary proceedings. The Home Secretary and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner meet regularly to discuss a wide range of issues. As part of its terms of reference, the Undercover Policing Inquiry is investigating the state of awareness of undercover police operations of Her Majesty’s Government since 1968. The Home Office is a core participant in that Inquiry and is in the process of making disclosure to the Inquiry of material relevant to the terms of reference. The Inquiry will report on its findings once all evidence has been reviewed.

Immigrants: Detainees

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Commonwealth-born citizens were detained by UK immigration services between January 2015 and January 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not hold the information you have requested in a reportable format. The information requested could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.Home Office data only holds current nationality, and not nationality at birth. The latest data, which goes back to 2009, is published in ‘Immigration Statistics, October to December 2017’, and available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/681703/detention-oct-dec-2017-tables.ods

English Language: Refugees

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding for accredited English language teaching for all refugees.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding the Government has provided for accredited English language teaching for refugees in each of the last 10 years.

Caroline Nokes: English language tuition is available to refugees under arrangements for adult learners and courses are fully funded for refugees who are unemployed and looking for work. The Department for Education (DfE) provides funding for adult education, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, through the Adult Education Budget. The Home Office has provided additional funding of £10m so that refugees resettled under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme can benefit from more English classes, childcare facilities, and local coordination of English language provision. The Home Office will work closely with DfE and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop the proposal for an English language Strategy for England that is set out in the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper published on 14 March.

Visas: Turkey

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to introduce the new route to Indefinite Leave for Remain (IDR) for self-employed Turkish business people in the UK under the European Community Association Agreement with Turkey (Ankara Agreement) Business Persons visa category; what principles her Department will apply in designing the new route to ILR; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the new route complies with the UK’s obligations under the Ankara Agreement.

Caroline Nokes: A new settlement route for Turkish business persons will be introduced in the latter half of 2018. While the requirements of such a category are to be determined, this will be a charged route in line with others who are seeking to settle in the UK. We will announce the requirements in due course. Case law of the Upper Tribunal has confirmed that there is no settlement route for Turkish business persons under the Ankara Agreement. The Home Office continues to comply with the Agreement in terms of assessing entry clearance to the UK and leave to remain for those Turkish nationals who wish to establish a business here.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that U.K Visas and Immigration have adequate resources to meet an increase in applications before the 2020 cut-off date for non-UK EU nationals.

Caroline Nokes: UKVI have commenced a programme of recruitment to increase staffing levels to circa 1500 FTE to deal with the EU Exit scheme and have increased both infrastructure and IT in line with the increased staffing levels.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to establish a comprehensive register of non-UK EU citizens in the UK.

Caroline Nokes: The Prime Minister announced last autumn that a system of registration would be introduced for EU citizens arriving during the post-EU exit implementation period (30 March 2019 to 31 December 2020). Work is well underway to build a system that will enable this. This registration scheme will apply to those who wish to stay in the UK for longer than three months and will sit alongside the settlement scheme for all EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK before the end of the implementation period. The settlement scheme will open for voluntary applications in late 2018.

Visas

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time is for UK Visas and Immigration to process a visa application.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unprocessed visa applications there are and what steps she is taking to reduce that number.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many family reunion visa applications were processed within service standards in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Caroline Nokes: Performance against service standards for processing of visas is published in the Migration Transparency data at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-operations-transparency-data-february-2018

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many notifications that require no further action are sent on average to applicants for Tier 4 visas.

Caroline Nokes: Where a notification from a Tier 4 sponsor is received and requires no further action, no correspondence is issued to the Tier 4 visa holder.Numbers of notifications that require no further action can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/sponsorship-transparency-data-february-2018 on tab SN_01

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to simplify the process of applying for a tier 4 visa.

Caroline Nokes: We continue to explore whether we could make our offer to international students even more attractive, without increasing the risk of immigration abuse, and we are committed to supporting UK universities in attracting international students and talent from around the world. The Tier 4 visa pilot reflects this ambition. The pilot helps to streamline the visa process for international students looking to study on a Masters’ course, in the UK, of 13 months or less. The pilot means that universities are responsible for eligibility checks, so that students applying for their visa can submit fewer documents alongside their visa applications. All students continue to be subject to Immigration Rules and must still undergo stringent Home Office security and identity checks. The pilot also helps to support students who wish to switch into a work route and take up a graduate role, by extending the leave period following the end of their study, to up to six months. The Home Office will be rolling out the Tier 4 visa pilot more widely for international students in the 18/19 intake. A further 23 institutions have been selected, based on having the consistently lowest visa refusal rates for their region or country. The expansion of the pilot will allow us to consider the impact of the pilot on a more diverse group of sponsors. Once evaluated, we will consider whether to introduce the offer being tested with the pilot into the Immigration Rules and make it policy. The evaluation will report interim findings with a final report in the spring of 2019.

Visas: Fraud

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps have been taken since the first quarter of 2016 to reduce fraud in the English language testing system.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office closely monitors the provision of Secure English Language Testing, and has a series of robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure the integrity of the system. These mechanisms include regular audits of test centres by Home Office staff, ensuring that most centres are audited once every 12 months. There are also a series of steps that the providers are required to take, and the Home Office holds service review meeting with the providers to evaluate performance and examine any issues.

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps have been taken to improve the speed at which outstanding asylum applications are completed.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office has plans to improve the speed at which outstanding asylum claims are decided. These include a staff retention strategy to ensure it retains its highly skilled asylum decision makers, further expansion of digital processes to increase caseworking flexibility and the creation of a new team in Bootle which has been specifically established to tackle the older cases in the asylum system. This team has been designed to establish and roll out best practise in the management of older cases.

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of all new and outstanding asylum applications were completed in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c)2017.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum applications, initial decisions and pending for main applicants, by nationality in Asylum Tables, Volume 1 Table as_01_q of the Immigration Statistics release. The latest figures are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables

Asylum: Repatriation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers were repatriated to countries her Department considered to be unsafe at the time of their repatriation in 2017.

Caroline Nokes: The answer is none. Where a person can show they have a well-founded fear of persecution or serious harm, they are usually granted asylum or humanitarian protection. All claims are considered on their individual facts and merits, against the background of the available country information and relevant caselaw, and in line with our international obligations.

Refugees: Syria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees from Syria had their application for refugee status granted in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Caroline Nokes: Syrian refugees can be granted protection as a result of an application for asylum, or through one of the UK’s refugee resettlement schemes.The Home Office publishes data on the number of asylum grants made each year, broken down by nationality, in table as_01 (asylum, volume 1) of the quarterly Immigration Statistics release.The Home Office also publishes data on the number of Syrians resettled each year, under the Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme, in table as_19 (asylum volume 4) of the quarterly Immigration Statistics release.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables

Refugees: Syria

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government projects that the target of accepting 20,000 Syrian refugees will be met by 2020.

Caroline Nokes: Work continues with local authorities and international partners to deliver the Government’s commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) by 2020 and we are on-track to do this. Progress on resettlement is reported in the quarterly immigration statistics. The last set of statistics show that by the end of 2017, 10,538 refugees had been resettled under the VPRS since the scheme began in 2014.

Asylum: Children

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied child asylum seekers have been resettled in the UK since the first quarter of 2016.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office publishes data on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children granted UASC, or another form of protection, each quarter, in table as_09_q (asylum volume 3) of the quarterly Immigration Statistics release.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables

Radicalism

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies on counter extremism of the report from the organisation Hope Not Hate, The state of hate 2018, published in March 2018.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to tackling all forms of extremism. The 2015 Counter-Extremism Strategy sets out a four year programme of work for defeating extremism at source by countering extremist ideology; supporting mainstream voices, especially in faith communities and civil society; disrupting the most harmful extremists; and building more cohesive communities by tackling segregation.The Government has established an Extremism Analysis Unit (EAU) to support government and the wider public sector to understand the threat from extremism. The EAU will continue to learn from existing capabilities to analyse extremism, including external experts.In March 2018 the Government launched an independent Commission for Countering Extremism. The Commission has a clear remit to identify and challenge extremism in all its forms, and it will be engaging widely with stakeholders.

Asylum: Young People

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effect on the mental health of 18-year old asylum seekers of their transfer from social care to the National Asylum Support System.

Caroline Nokes: There are no plans to make such an assessment.Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in England are supported by local authorities under the Children Act 1989 and usually remain supported under the same legislation as “care leavers” after they turn 18 years of age.The only circumstances in which they would transfer to the asylum support system administered by the Home Office is if they were supported by the local authority for less than 13 weeks before their 18th birthday and their asylum claim or appeal was still outstanding.Similar arrangements are in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Offences against Children: Disclosure of Information

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that rules of confidentiality binding professionals who work with children can be waived when the professional has reasonable grounds to believe that a child is a victim of sexual (a) abuse and (b) exploitation.

Victoria Atkins: The statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children makes clear that where there are concerns about the safety and welfare of children all practitioners should share information without hesitation or concern for their individual or organisational reputation. Fears about sharing information cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children at risk of abuse or neglect. Which is why last month the Government brought forward an amendment to the Data Protection Bill (currently passing through Parliament) to support effective information sharing by clarifying that data can always be shared between practitioners for safeguarding purposes.

Prostitution

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to undertake a review of the adequacy of legislation on prostitution.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on ensuring the (a) welfare, (b) safety and (c) health of women in (i) the sex industry and (ii) prostitution.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with (a) women's charities and (b) welfare organisations on prostitution.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of women working as prostitutes in each of the last five years.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to protecting those selling sex from harm and enabling the police to target those who exploit vulnerable people involved in prostitution. Protecting those involved in prostitution is a strand of our strategy to end violence against women and girls, and we regularly meet with charities, welfare organisations and academics to discuss current issues related to prostitution and sex work. As set out in our response to the Home Affairs Select Committee report into prostitution, the Government recognises the strong arguments for commissioning a research project into the prevalence and nature of prostitution in England and Wales. Indeed, we believe that such an evidence base is vital prior to considering further changes to policy and legislation. The Home Office has subsequently provided £150,000 to fund this research, which will be carried out by the University of Bristol. Further information can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-office-funds-university-of-bristol-research-into-prostitution The Government has also provided £389,000 from the Tampon Tax to organisations which help those who want to leave prostitution and sex work, and £650,000 from the Violence Against Women and Girls Service Transformation Fund to Merseyside PCC, to provide a victim-focused service for sex workers who are victims, or at risk of sexual or domestic violence and abuse, exploitation or human trafficking.

Visas: Families

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many family reunion visa applications have been rejected in each of the last five years.

Caroline Nokes: The available information relates to outcomes (grants, refusals, withdrawn, lapsed) in the Family: Other category, the large majority of whom are family reunion cases, and is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, Visas volume 1, table vi_01_q, latest edition at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017. The “Family: Other” category consists of:Family reunion: pre-existing family members (partners, minor children) of a person with refugee leave or humanitarian protection, who has not yet obtained British citizenship;From July 2012: dependants who are not partners or children of those with refugee leave or humanitarian protection;From July 2012: parents with access rights to a child. There are a small number of applications for family reunion where leave is granted in exceptional circumstances outside the Immigration Rules which are not included in the Family: Other category.

Organised Crime: Drugs

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 17 January 2018, Official Report, Column 348WH, on County Lines, when she plans to launch the nationwide awareness-raising campaign.

Victoria Atkins: The nationwide awareness-raising communications activity on county lines was launched on 9 April. The activity is targeted to young and vulnerable people on how to avoid becoming involved and exploited by gangs.The Home Secretary also launched the Serious Violence Strategy on 9 April, which builds upon the significant programme of work already underway to tackle county lines and other forms of serious violence. The Strategy sets out a new balance between prevention and the rigorous law enforcement activity already happening up and down the country.

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133714, on Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre, how many (a) local constituency MPs and (b) non-constituency MPs have (i) applied for and  (ii) been granted permission to visit Yarl’s Wood since 1 November 2016; and how many applications in each category remain under consideration.

Caroline Nokes: All requests for visits to immigration removal centres (IRC) by Honourable Members require the agreement of the Minister for Immigration, with local constituency MPs generally given priority over non-constituency MPs. Since 1 November 2016 four Honourable Members (1 constituency and 3 non constituency) have made requests and received Ministerial approval to visit Yarl’s Wood IRC. One request, from the Honourable Member for Brighton, Pavilion, is still under consideration.

Asylum: Children

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department are being taken to reunify unaccompanied child refugees in the UK with their direct relatives.

Caroline Nokes: Our family reunion policy allows immediate family members of those granted protection here to reunite with them. The Immigration Rules also provide for relatives with protection in the UK to sponsor children in serious andcompelling circumstances and the Mandate resettlement scheme allows those recognised by the UNCHR as refugees to join close family members here in the UK. In addition, there is provision in the policy to grant visas outside the Rules in exceptional circumstances, which caters for family members who otherwise do not qualify under the Rules. However, there is no provision in the Rules for children with refugee status in the UK to sponsor family members to join them. We believe this would create additional motives for more children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their family, and risk hazardous journeys hoping to sponsor relatives later. This would play into the hands of criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people, and goes against our wider safeguarding responsibilities. The best interests of children are reflected in remaining with their families, claimingasylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety – and relying on resettlement schemes to travel safely.

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether welfare records are kept for asylum seekers that have been granted asylum.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not hold dedicated ‘welfare records’ for asylum seekers or refugees, however information concerning health conditions or safeguarding matters will be recorded on the applicant’s case file as their asylum claim progresses and retained in accordance with data protection regulations, including following a grant of refugee status.

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum cases that commenced before 2010 remain outstanding.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum cases have remained outstanding for over five years in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017; and what steps her Department are taking to reduce those numbers.

Caroline Nokes: We are aware of the number of older cases in the system. These are more complex cases which generally have barriers preventing an initial asylum decision being made. Barriers are often varied and require time to clear. The Home Office has plans to reduce the number of outstanding undecided asylum claims and the speed at which they are processed. Plans include a staff retention strategy to ensure it retains its highly skilled asylum decision makers, further expansion of digital processes to increase caseworking flexibility and the creation of a new team in Bootle; specifically established to tackle older asylum cases. The new team has been designed to establish new ways of working and roll out best practise in the management of older cases.

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum cases that were sent to the Migration Refusal Pool were returned to the Home Department in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of asylum cases sent to the Migration Refusal Pool were returned to the Home Department in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.

Caroline Nokes: Asylum cases are not sent to the Migration Refusal Pool (MRP). The MRP consists of non-asylum cases, where records indicate that an individual has made an unsuccessful application to remain in the UK and is therefore awaiting return to their country of origin. The cases of failed asylum seekers are not managed as part of the MRP, as these cases are managed separately by UK Visas and Immigration and Immigration Enforcement. The number of failed asylum seekers subject to removal action is published as part of the Home Office transparency arrangements and can be found at table ASY-03: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-february-2018

Immigrants: Detainees

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people subject to Rule 35 reports are currently detained.

Caroline Nokes: The total number R35 reports made by medical practitioners for those detained within Immigration Removal Centres (IRC) are published quarterly as part of Transparency data under the category ‘Reports made by a medical practitioner to the Home Office under Rule 35 on individuals in immigration detention. This can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data

Immigrants: Detainees

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long on average people subject to Rule 35 reports were detained in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not hold the information you have requested in a reportable format. The information requested could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.

Offenders: Foreign Nationals

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of foreign national offenders have been released into the community in (a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, and (c) England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Caroline Nokes: Providing the information requested would require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost.The Home Office do however routinely publish quarterly figures on the number of foreign national offenders that have been released into the community. Although these figures are not disaggregated by constituent part of the United Kingdom, they do provide the requested data on a national level. Figures for the latest quarter can be found by accessing the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-february-2018

Offenders: Deportation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time spent in prison was for a foreign national offender before deportation in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Caroline Nokes: Providing the information requested would require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost. The Home Office do however routinely publish quarterly figures on the average length of time it takes foreign national offenders to be deported following completion of their custodial sentence. Figures for the latest quarter can be found by accessing the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-february-2018

Marriage: Fraud

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were charged with marriage fraud in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Caroline Nokes: The number of people charged of involvement in marriage fraud is as follows: 2015: 412016: 152017: 14 Please note that there is no offence in UK law, of marriage fraud. Anyone suspected of being involved in a sham marriage would be charged under other offences. The numbers provided are individuals charged by IE Criminal & Financial Investigation teams in relation to organised immigration crime only. This data has been derived from local management information and is therefore subject to change.

Undocumented Workers: Fines

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of fines imposed for the employment of illegal workers were collected within (a) six months  and (b) nine months of their imposition in 2017.

Caroline Nokes: The information is not readily available/held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Undocumented Workers: Unpaid Fines

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fines for the employment of illegal workers remain unpaid.

Caroline Nokes: Since the commencement of the scheme in 2008, 6,348 separate illegal working civil penalties have some outstanding debt which is unpaid.

UK Visas and Immigration

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that UK Visas and Immigration has the (a) resources and (b) expertise to maintain level of service after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office constantly reviews its capabilities in order to deliver the Government’s agenda and we continue to assess how our priorities will impact on the workforce and capabilities required.Operational units across the Home Office actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand and will continue to do so throughout negotiations and as the UK leaves the EU. Any resultant changes to resource requirements will be factored into strategic planning.

Migrant Workers: Health Professions

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made ofthe effect of the qualification criteria for Tier 2 work visason the ability of the NHS to recruit staff from non-EEA countries.

Caroline Nokes: The Tier 2 (General) visa route is intended to fill gaps in the UK labour market and is designed to serve the national interest by ensuring that employers look first to the UK resident labour market before recruiting from overseas. The route is capped at 20,700 places a year and the criteria for entry to the route is set following advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee. Places are allocated on a monthly basis, with the highest priority being given to jobs in national shortage, followed by PhD-level occupations, graduate level jobs and then by salary from highest to lowest, in line with those that provide the greatest economic benefit to the UK. No visas have been refused for those seeking to come to the UK to undertake a post which the Migration Advisory Committee has determined should be on the shortage occupation list. We continue to monitor the operation of the Tier 2 visa route to ensure that it balances enabling the brightest and best migrants to work in the UK with our commitment to reducing net migration.

Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce moped crime.

Victoria Atkins: Reports of crimes involving motorcycles, mopeds and scooters are clearly a concern. That is why the Government has worked with the police, industry and other partners to develop a comprehensive action plan focusing on what more can be done to prevent offending and keep the public safe. This work sits alongside the review the Government is conducting into the law, guidance and practice surrounding police pursuits and response driving. We will publish the outcome of the review shortly.

Asylum

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the number of rejected asylum seekers in the UK.

Caroline Nokes: Information on the UK’s resident population is a matter for the Office for National Statistics. The Home Office does not publish estimates on the number of rejected asylum seekers currently in the UK.The Home Office does publish quarterly breakdowns of the number of asylum applications that were rejected at initial decision, in table as_01_q (asylum, volume 1) of the quarterly Immigration Statistics release. However, data are based on initial decision and some will be overturned following appeal.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables

Counter-terrorism

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Prevent strategy and Prevent duty directives do not unfairly target racial and religious minorities.

Mr Ben Wallace: Prevent does not target a specific faith or ethnic group. The Prevent Programme is fundamentally about safeguarding and supporting vulnerable individuals to stop them from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent is implemented in a proportionate manner that takes into account the level of risk in any given area or institution.The introduction of the Prevent Duty has embedded consideration of the risk of radicalisation in the day-to-day work of frontline statutory partners. We are equipping frontline professionals through Prevent training with the skills and knowledge to help them understand better the role that they can play in countering radicalisation and refer individuals they are concerned about.

Free Movement of People

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to allow non-musicians working in the music industry an exemption from restrictions on free movement after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The precise way in which the Government will control migration to the UK following exit from the EU is yet to be determined.In July 2017, the Government commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to advise on the economic and social impacts of the UK’s exit from the European Union and also on how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy. The MAC’s call for evidence sought information on EU migrants’ skills, amongst other things, and this will be considered in their final report due in September 2018.We will build a comprehensive picture of the needs and interests of all parts of the UK, taking account of the evidence from the MAC, and look to develop a system which works for all.

Migrant Workers: Industrial Disputes

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is in cases where Tier 2 visa holders take 10 or more consecutive days of industrial action.

Caroline Nokes: A Tier 2 and 5 sponsor is required to report, to the Home Office, any migrant they sponsor who is absent from work for 10 or more consecutive working days without permission. This should be done within ten working days of the 10th day of unauthorised absence.If a Tier 2 or 5 migrant is absent from work without pay for 4 weeks or more in a calendar year, their leave may be curtailed, taking into account all relevant circumstances.

Migrant Workers: Industrial Disputes

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people holding Tier 2 visas have had them revoked in each of the last five years on the grounds that they took 10 or more consecutive days of industrial action.

Caroline Nokes: As the information submitted by Tier 2 sponsors is not provided in a uniform format, it is not possible to break data on Tier 2 curtailments down into specific grounds.

Harassment: Females

Marsha De Cordova: Whether she has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make misogyny a hate crime.

Victoria Atkins: Abuse, harassment or targeting of women is totally unacceptable and we already have robust legislation that can be used to protect women from a range of crimes. We will continue our work to protect women and girls, including pledging £100 million in dedicated funding until 2020 to tackle violence against women and girls, while our landmark draft Domestic Abuse Bill will help transform our approach to protect and support victims, and bring perpetrators to justice.

Crime

Toby Perkins: What assessment she has made of the level of crime and the effectiveness of crime reporting by police forces.

Mr Nick Hurd: The independent Office for National Statistics is clear that overall crime has fallen, with ‘traditional’ crime down by almost 40 per cent since June 2010 according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales. HMICFRS continue to inspect forces’ accuracy in crime recording and where recommendations are made for improvement we expect action to be taken locally by chief officers.

Drugs: Crime

Kevin Foster: Whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of measures to tackle the illegal trade in the drug commonly known as Spice.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government's approach to drugs is working. We are tracking the use of new psychoactive substances (which captures synthetic cannabinoids such as those in 'spice') though the annual Drug Misuse publication, which found that NPS use in England and Wales has fallen from 0.7 per cent in 2015/16 to 0.4 per cent in 2016/17. We recognise that some areas still have problems with synthetic cannabinoids and strongly support the multi-agency approach taken to tackle this.

Visas: Migrant Workers

Stuart C. McDonald: What plans she has to change the operation of the Tier 2 work visa.

Caroline Nokes: Tier 2, the main immigration route for non-EEA skilled workers, ensures employers can recruit from overseas where necessary while controlling migration and encouraging employers to look first to the domestic workforce before recruiting from overseas.We continue to monitor the operation of the route to ensure that it serves the national interest.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Official Hospitality

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much money her Department has spent on hospitality in each of the last five years.

Mr Shailesh Vara: My Department has spent the following on hospitality in each of the last five years; 2013/14 - £67,4922014/15 - £53,7692015/16 - £34,8412016/17 - £59,7552017/18 - £94,085

Northern Ireland Office: Cambridge Analytica and SCL Group

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether her Department or any of its agencies or associated bodies has had contracts with SCL group or Cambridge Analytica.

Mr Shailesh Vara: Neither my Department or any of its associated bodies has had contracts with SCL Group or Cambridge Analytica.

GCSE: Agriculture and Land Use

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many students took a GCSE in Agriculture and Land Use in each of the last three years.

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many schools offered a GCSE in Agriculture and Land Use in 2017.

Mr Shailesh Vara: Education policy is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the information requested is not held by the Northern Ireland Office.

Treasury

Tax Allowances

Anneliese Dodds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March to Question 133321 on tax allowances, which tax reliefs are currently subject to a sunset clause.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which tax reliefs have expired as a result of a sunset clause since 2010.

Mel Stride: HMRC does not hold a central record of each sunset clause in relation to a tax relief, so cannot provide this information.

Infrastructure: Environmental Protection

Clive Lewis: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that the National Infrastructure Commission assesses the potential effect of proposals for infrastructure building on biodiversity.

Elizabeth Truss: The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has been established to provide impartial, expert advice, and make independent recommendations to the government on economic infrastructure. The NIC will deliver the first-ever National Infrastructure Assessment in the summer, taking a strategic view on the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs and how to meet them. Supporting sustainable economic growth is one of the NIC’s key objectives, and the government has asked the Natural Capital Committee, chaired by Professor Dieter Helm, to advise the NIC and ensure green and blue infrastructure are appropriately considered within wider infrastructure discussions. This government is committed to this being the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it, and we have developed a 25-year Environment Plan[1] to deliver this vision. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/693158/25-year-environment-plan.pdf

Children: Day Care

Derek Twigg: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the technical issues which are affecting the Childcare service; and what the timetable is for those issues to be resolved.

Elizabeth Truss: The majority of parents use the childcare service without problems. Many of the issues experienced by parents are intermittent and may affect customers in different ways. HM Revenue and Customs have procedures in place to ensure any parent who experiences a technical issue when applying for Tax-Free Childcare through the online service, receives support and does not lose out financially.

Railways: Scotland

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2018 to Question 130922, what the funding methodology was for the allocation of rail funding to the Scottish Government for Control Period 5.

Elizabeth Truss: The Scottish Government received Barnett Consequentials of the grant funding for England and Wales.

Railways: Scotland

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2018 to Question 130922, on Railways: Scotland, if he will publish the (a) criteria and (b) methodology for the Barnett Consequential element of the Control Period 6 rail funding allocation to the Scottish Government.

Elizabeth Truss: I set out the methodology for Control Period 6 rail funding for the network in Scotland in my answer to Question 130922.

Railways: Finance

Alan Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the funding methodology is for the allocation of rail funding within England and Wales for Control Period 6.

Elizabeth Truss: The methodology for allocation of rail funding within England and Wales for Control Period 6 is summarised by the ORR’s Periodic Review 2018 documentation, available on the ORR’s website: http://orr.gov.uk/rail/economic-regulation/regulation-of-network-rail/price-controls/periodic-review-2018/timetable-and-process

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average number of calls has been to the HMRC Childcare system hotline per day since that hotline was established; and what the average length of each call has been.

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of people using HMRC's online service for tax-free childcare have experienced technical problems; and how many accounts remain unresolved.

Elizabeth Truss: The majority of parents use the childcare service without problems. Currently, on a typical day, fewer than 2% of parents see an error screen at some point. As of 29 March 2018 the helpline receives on average 3,020 calls per day and the average length of each call was 04:24.

Roadchef: Employee Benefit Trusts

Neil Gray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 19 December 2017, Official Report, column 1029, when he expects HMRC to reach an agreement with the Roadchef Employee Benefit Trust on the outstanding tax issues.

Mel Stride: The administration of the tax system, including where appropriate the repayment of tax or duties, is a matter for HM Revenue and Customs. It would not be appropriate for Treasury Ministers to become involved in the administration of the tax system in specific cases. As I mentioned in the debate in December, HMRC is doing everything it can to resolve the issue promptly and fairly.

Roadchef: Employee Benefit Trusts

Neil Gray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the dispute over Roadchef Employee Benefit Trust, what plans he has to regulate employee benefit trusts .

Mel Stride: I refer the Hon Member to my written answer of 5 July 2017 (UIN 1465).

Roadchef: Employee Benefit Trusts

Neil Gray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will issue guidance to HMRC on unjust enrichment as a result of the Roadchef Employee Benefit Trust case.

Mel Stride: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 4 December 2017 (UIN 115660).

Taxation: Repayments

Neil Gray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average length of time was for repayment in cases of (a) tax overpayments (b) tax paid in error (c) tax on illegal profits.

Mel Stride: This information is not held centrally by HMRC in the form requested and so cannot be provided.

Taxation: Profits

Neil Gray: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of tax paid to HMRC on illegally obtained profits in the last three years.

Mel Stride: The information requested is not available as taxpayers do not report details of the levels of their profits on which they pay tax that came from illegal sources to HMRC.

Money Laundering

Catherine McKinnell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has identified those business sectors in which money laundering occurs most frequently.

John Glen: The UK’s second National Risk Assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing was published jointly by HM Treasury and the Home Office in October 2017, following the first National Risk Assessment in 2015. These publications provided comprehensive assessments of the money laundering and terrorist financing risks that the UK faces, across all regulated sectors. The National Risk Assessment advises on which services or products criminal groups are currently exploiting, enabling organisations to strengthen their efforts to protect themselves from these threats. The Assessment found that high end money laundering, the criminal exploitation of services provided by banks and professional groups such as lawyers and accountants, and cash-based money laundering remain the greatest areas of money laundering risk to the UK.

Insurance: Disability

Gill Furniss: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to insurance that fairly reflects risk for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: The government remains in regular discussion with the insurance industry and other interested parties, including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), on the provision of insurance in the UK. The government recognises that various factors can impact on availability, pricing and terms of insurance policies. According to disability discrimination law under the Equality Act 2010, an insurance provider cannot refuse to cover potential customers or charge more for insurance on the basis of a disability unless both of the following are true: 1) They can provide objective, accurate and reliable evidence that the applicant is at a higher risk of making a claim; and2) The information they used to assess the application was used in a reasonable way.The FCA is also currently conducting detailed discovery work into pricing practices used by insurers to develop a clear understanding of current market practices. This discovery work is looking at the techniques, strategies and rating factors used by insurers. The FCA will consider if any further intervention is required at the conclusion of this discovery work.

NHS: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on funding for the NHS.

Elizabeth Truss: At the last Spending Review the Government funded the NHS’s Five Year Forward View plan, with a settlement that provided a £10 billion a year real terms increase to the NHS’s budget by 2020-21. Even with that significant investment, we recognise that the NHS remains under pressure – with high demand on its services caused by the UK’s ageing population and rapidly advancing technology. That is why we have committed £10 billion of additional funding for the NHS at the Budget and since. This includes making available over £4 billion for a new pay deal for the 1.2 million NHS staff on the Agenda for Change contract, in return for wider reform. In terms of next steps – as the Prime Minister set out recently at the Liaison Committee, we will come forward this year with a long-term plan for the NHS, and provide a new multi-year funding settlement in support of this plan – consistent with our fiscal rules and balanced approach – ahead of the next Spending Review.

Advance Pricing Agreements

Anneliese Dodds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of  26 March 2018 to Question 133363 on Advance Pricing Agreements, for what reasons the UK counts Advance Pricing Agreements as a single case irrespective of the number of UK entities that may be party to the relevant agreement.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has run an Advanced Pricing Agreements (APA) programme since 1999 and records the number of applications and the number of agreements currently in force.HMRC records each APA in force by reference to the application received, irrespective of the number of transactions included in the APA, or UK entities who are signatories to the APA. This reflects the way that HMRC processes an application, considering all aspects of a single application together.The UK’s approach is in line with HMRC’s wider approach to publishing APA statistics and has been accepted by the European Joint Transfer Pricing Forum (EUJTPF).

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Buildings

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2018 to Question 132087, on Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Buildings, what the annual cost of occupying those buildings is.

Margot James: The annual cost of our rented property is £ 1,312,214. The annual cost of buildings we occupy through agreements with other government departments is £10,152,449. The properties we occupying by agreement with other government departments represent better value for money for the tax payer. In acknowledgement of this fact we are scheduled to surrender the remaining commercial lease in favour of further co-location with government departments in alignment with the wider government estates strategy.

Theatre: Pupils

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of school children in England under the age of 16 who have been to the theatre in the twelve months.

Michael Ellis: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport publishes the Taking Part Survey every year which provides reliable national estimates of engagement with the arts, heritage, museums and libraries. The latest Taking Part: Annual Child Report (2016/17) survey shows that 27.5% of 5-10 year olds engaged with the theatre and drama activities, while 63.5% of 11-15 year olds engaged.

Cultural Heritage

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the Heritage Action Zones designated by Heritage Lottery Fund in each constituency since 2010.

Michael Ellis: Heritage Action Zones are a Historic England initiative. The scheme was a commitment in the Culture White Paper and has run since 2017, with ten Heritage Action Zones designated to date. These are in Appleby, Coventry, Elsecar, Hull, King's Lynn, Nottingham, Ramsgate, Sunderland, Sutton and Weston-super-Mare. A further eight Heritage Action Zones are in development now. The Heritage Action Zones scheme aims to unleash the power in England's historic environment to create economic growth and improve quality of life in villages, towns and cities.

Cinemas and Theatres: Closures

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) theatres and (b) cinemas have closed in each constituency since 2010.

Margot James: We do not hold the information requested.

Libraries: Closures

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many libraries have closed in each constituency since 2010.

Michael Ellis: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport monitors proposed changes to library service provision throughout England, but does not hold complete figures on the number of public libraries closed in each constituency since 2010.

Creative Industries Council: Trade Unions

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the timescale is for the appointment of a trade union representative to the Creative Industries Council.

Margot James: The review of membership of the Creative Industries Council will take place later in the year. As stated in the previous answer, the review process is led by the Council’s industry co-Chair. Organisations and individuals interested in being involved in the Council’s work can do this through a range of council sub-groups, details of which can be found at www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to improve access to participation in (a) the National Citizen Service and (b) full-time social action projects.

Tracey Crouch: DCMS has made over £1 billion funding available for the National Citizen Service over this parliament to ensure every young person who wants to take part is able to. The NCS Trust strives to ensure young people from all backgrounds are able to participate - in Summer 2016, 17% of NCS participants were eligible for Free School Meals (compared to 8% in the general population). DCMS is carefully considering the recommendations made by the recently published independent Review of Full Time Social Action by Young People and will respond in due course.

Cabinet Office: Mental Health

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress his Department has made in implementing recommendation 4 of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.

Tracey Crouch: To date, DCMS, through the Life Chances Fund, has committed funding of up to £10 million to four projects that combat drug and alcohol dependency – this is in addition to funding from 23 local commissioners, who will provide £27 million to the four projects. DCMS has worked closely with Public Health England to ensure that projects are integrated into the wider care landscape.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Electricity Generation: Profits

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with OFGEM on Distribution Network Operator margins and profits; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Energy network price controls are a matter for Ofgem as the independent regulator and, by law, must be set independently of Government. Government welcomes Ofgem’s recent proposals for the next set of price controls (due to start in 2021) which Ofgem estimates will save customers £5 billion over 5 years. Government expects network companies to act in the best interests of consumers and welcomes the voluntary returns that have been made by some network companies in this price control. Ofgem estimates that these will benefit customers by more than £650 million. We expect the remaining companies to follow suit.

Solar Power: Motherwell and Wishaw

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many photovoltaics installations through Green Deal plans provided by Home Energy Lifestyle Management Systems were undertaken in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency.

Claire Perry: Since the start of the Green Deal, 64 homes in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency have received photovoltaics through Green Deal plans provided by Home Energy Lifestyle Management Systems.

GKN: Melrose

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to receive the security assessment of the takeover bid for GKN by Melrose.

Andrew Griffiths: The Government will consider whether the takeover of GKN by Melrose raises public interest concerns, based on advice from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and other authorities.

GKN: Melrose

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the latest date is by which he can (a) call in and (b) block the hostile takeover bid for GKN by Melrose.

Andrew Griffiths: The Government has a statutory responsibility to consider whether the takeover in its proposed final form gives rise to public interest concerns. This assessment is currently under way. The Enterprise Act 2002 allows the Secretary of State to intervene up to four months after the completion of the transaction.

GKN: Melrose

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral statement of 27 March 2018 on GKN: Proposed Takeover by Melrose, if he will take steps to ensure that the pensions commitment given to him by Melrose is legally enforceable post-offer undertaking; and what discussions he has had with Melrose on that commitment.

Andrew Griffiths: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has no statutory role in pensions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State however recognises their importance to GKN employees and has sought to facilitate discussions between the companies involved, the GKN pension scheme trustees and The Pensions Regulator.Melrose has reached an agreement with GKN’s pension scheme trustees. This agreement is not a post-offer undertaking under the Takeover Code and its fulfilment is a matter for the pension trustees and The Pensions Regulator.

Life Sciences: North of England

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Northern Health Science Alliance on delivering a northern life sciences sector deal.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

BiFab: Government Assistance

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on government support for Burntisland Fabrications Ltd.

Lesley Laird: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he last discussed Burntisland Fabrications Ltd with the Scottish Government.

Claire Perry: Ministers and officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly discuss matters of mutual interest with their counterparts in the devolved administrations.

Telecommunications: Consumers

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the forthcoming consumer green paper takes steps to protect customers within the telecoms sector.

Andrew Griffiths: The Consumer Green Paper was published on 11 April. It seeks views on how to ensure that modern consumer markets work for all, both now and in the future, including in the telecoms sector.A copy of the Green Paper can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consumer-green-paper-modernising-consumer-markets.

Anaerobic Digestion

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to update its anaerobic digestion action and strategy plan.

Claire Perry: Anaerobic Digestion (AD) has the potential to support the UK to decarbonise, divert waste from landfill and produce nutrient-rich fertiliser.Through the Feed In Tariff, Renewables Obligation and Renewable Heat Incentive, Government has supported the deployment of 0.46 GW of AD. We currently have no plans to update the Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan, but we continue to assess the potential benefits of AD through delivery of the Industrial Strategy and Clean Growth Strategy.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Unpaid Work

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people have undertaken unpaid work periods in his Department since 2016; and how many of those people were not subsequently offered a full-time work position.

Richard Harrington: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) participates in centrally run and unpaid work placement schemes designed to promote social mobility and offer the opportunity to work shadow/gain work experience in the Civil Service. The schemes in question on which we can report numbers are:The Early Diversity Internship Programme, a work shadowing scheme offered to years 1-2 undergraduates, for a week at EasterCivil Service Work Experience, which is for school students between the ages of 15 and 18. Placements are for less than 1 month based on school holidays.Movement to Work. As part of a national programme, the Civil Service offers work experience placements of between 4-8 weeks duration with primary focus on young unemployed 18 -24 year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).   Since the formation of BEIS in July 2016, we have had 1 Movement to Work placement, 10 EDIP students and 13 Civil Service Work Experience placements. The route for applying for full-time work positions would be through fair and open competition for advertised roles. Based on departmental data, none of those who took part in these placements subsequently succeeded in applying for full-time work positions in BEIS.

Electricity Generation

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2018 to question 128954, what assessment he has made of whether as a result of increased interconnection (a) net employment in the GB electricity generating sector will increase or decrease and (b) UK GDP contribution from the GB electricity generating sector will increase or decrease in real terms.

Claire Perry: New interconnectors create jobs and contribute to GDP in their construction and ongoing operation. However, we do not hold sufficiently disaggregated data on employment in and GDP contribution from the electricity sector to make a quantitative assessment of the impact of increased interconnection on these points.

Life Sciences

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how his Department proposes to develop a regional approach to implementing the recommendations of the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, as outlined in the White Paper, Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain fit for the future, published on 27 November 2017.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Life Sciences

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to ensure the regions of the UK receive a proportional allocation of investments as part of the Government’s delivery of the Industrial Strategy: Life Sciences Sector Deal, published on 6 December 2017.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Aviation: Noise

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to support and encourage aviation companies to research and develop new aircraft and engine technologies to reduce noise emissions.

Richard Harrington: The Department provides strong support for the UK aerospace sector through the Aerospace Growth Partnership. As part of this we have created a more certain environment to drive increased investment in R&D, through a £1.95billion Government commitment over 13 years to 2026, matched by industry, to fund new R&D projects. This funding, guided by the Aerospace Technology Institute, supports investment in new technologies to reduce aircraft noise.A large proportion of the 206 projects contracted so far, worth over £1.8billion, are concerned with new technologies to reduce noise from aircraft engines, propellers, rotors, wings and landing gear.These projects are focused on delivering demanding international noise reduction goals and ensure UK aerospace companies are leading the technological evolution to achieve these.

Average Earnings

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an estimate of the average (a) hourly and (b) weekly wages of (i) agency workers and (ii) directly employed staff working in comparable (A) jobs and (B) sectors.

Andrew Griffiths: The Government does not believe that making such an estimate is practicable as there is insufficient data available to do so. Following the Government’s response to the Taylor Review, the Government is currently consulting on potential changes to the enforcement of the Agency Worker Regulations and specifically on the use of the “Swedish Derogation”.

Agency Workers: Pay

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of agency workers have been employed on pay between assignment contracts under regulation 10 of the Agency Worker Regulations 2010 in the last 12 months.

Andrew Griffiths: The Department does not hold robust statistical information on the number or proportion of agency workers that have been employed on pay between assignment contracts. The Government recently published qualitative research entitled Qualitative analysis of the use of Pay Between Assignment contracts for agency workers including the role of umbrella companies[1]. However, the focus of this research was qualitative and we do not believe that this research enables robust quantitative analysis of agency workers on pay between assignment contracts. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-use-of-pay-between-assignment-contracts-for-agency-workers-including-the-role-of-umbrella-organisations

Agency Workers: Pay

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of Regulation 10 of the Agency Worker Regulations 2010 on the pay of agency workers.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of  Part 5 of the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 on pay rates for agency workers.

Andrew Griffiths: No assessment has been made of the effect of Regulation 10 or Part 5 of the Agency Workers Regulations on the pay of agency workers. Following the Government response to the Taylor Review, the Government is currently consulting on the rules governing the use of agency workers and the use of pay between assignment contracts. Alongside the consultation, the Government also published a report by HOST Policy Research entitled Qualitative analysis of the use of Pay Between Assignment contracts for agency workers including the role of umbrella companies[1].   [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679564/HOST_Final_Report_final_version-.pdf

GKN: Melrose

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the merits of the final terms of the bid submitted by Melrose for GKN in response to his request for post-offer undertakings.

Andrew Griffiths: The merits of the takeover bid by Melrose were primarily a matter for the GKN shareholders although the Government has closely monitored the situation since the bid was first announced. Melrose has offered a number of post-offer undertakings under the Takeover Code and commitments directly to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Now that shareholders have made their decision, the Government is considering whether the takeover in its proposed final form gives rise to public interest concerns.

Agency Workers: Conditions of Employment

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2018 to Question 127381, what the timetable is for his Department’s consultation on whether it plans to abolish the Swedish derogation.

Andrew Griffiths: The Government published its response to the Taylor Review and its consultation on agency workers recommendations on 7 February 2018. This consultation will close on 9 May.

Department for Education: Mental Health

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress his Department has made on the implementation of Recommendation 27 of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 was administered by HEFCE, working with the HE funding councils for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The funding bodies consult widely on the arrangements for the REF and on their respective funding allocation processes.Overall funding from HEFCE for “Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience" research increased by over 16% as result of REF2014 from 2015-16. This was the largest increase across all the life sciences. In addition HEFCE continued to consider funding allocations for these disciplines very carefully, including holding discussions with key parties in the research community. As a consequence of work with an expert panel to assess the balance of clinical and non-clinical work within these disciplines, the HEFCE Board agreed to increase the cost weighting with effect from 2017-18. Decisions on research funding allocations for 2018-19 onwards are now a matter for Research England.Once allocations are made the funding is unhypothecated and it is the Higher Education Institutions themselves who will determine how it is spent.Detailed guidance for the next REF exercise in 2021 is now in development. The outcomes of REF 2021 will inform the allocation of research funding from 2022-23. It will be important to ensure that this assessment information can inform an appropriate approach to funding research for these disciplines. The REF team has begun exploring this with representatives from the relevant subject communities and will develop, with the expert REF panels, appropriate proposals, which will be subject to consultation with the HE sector in summer 2018.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Fire Prevention: Preston

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with Preston City Council on external cladding on buildings in Fishwick, Town Centre and St Matthews wards in Preston.

Dominic Raab: The Building Safety Programme has been working with local authorities and building owners across England to identify properties that might have potentially unsafe cladding systems.For all of those high-rise buildings that have been confirmed as having Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding that does not meet the limited combustibility requirements set out in current building regulations guidance, the relevant fire and rescue service has been notified.We have worked with local authorities, housing associations, fire and rescue services and building owners to ensure that immediate steps are taken to make buildings safe.

Land: Registration

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is to make publicly available a complete list of all unregistered publicly-held land.

Dominic Raab: I will publish a list of publicly-held land once the underlying data has been validated.

Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will review the long-term effect of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 periodically after that Act comes into force in April 2017.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We have committed to review the implementation of the Act and new burdens funding within two years of its commencement on 3 April 2018 and will consider any subsequent reviews in light of these.

Local Government Finance

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has provided funding to (a) local authorities, (b) combined authorities and (c) elected mayors for contingency planning for the UK leaving the EU.

Jake Berry: My Department will continue to work with local government to plan for a number of EU exit scenarios and will carefully consider the opportunities and issues which may arise. We also work closely with policy teams from across Whitehall to understand the impact their EU Exit policies will have on the sector, and ensure that they assess and, if appropriate, fund any potential new burdens. The Spending Review will provide an opportunity to look at the funding for local government in the round.

Right to Buy Scheme

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer 26 March 2018 to Question 133275 on Right to Buy Scheme, if he will set out the data that he has refused to publish for the reason that it quickly falls out of date in each year since 2010.

Dominic Raab: As stated in the answer to Quesion PQ UIN 132538 on 22 March 2018, and Question UIN 133274 on 26 March 2018, the Department does not publish this information, because it quickly falls out of date. This is due to operational reasons, as the 167 local authorities that have made relevant sales since 2012 have to estimate the amounts due, which are then made more accurate as a result of periodic review and reconciliation exercises. Since local authorities regularly review their data under the scrutiny of their external auditors, it is not possible to fix a deadline after which we can be confident that no figures will change.

Homelessness

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how he has allocated new burdens funding to local authorities to fulfil the provisions of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 during the first two years of its implementation.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government, what plans he has to allocate funding to fulfil the provisions of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 after 2019-20.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government published its methodology for calculating and allocating £72.7 million of new burdens funding, on 16 October 2017. It can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-reduction-act-new-burdens-fundingThe Government has committed to review the implementation of the Act and the level of new burdens funding within two years of the commencement of the Act.

Temporary Accommodation

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on how much each local authority has (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on temporary accommodation in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: MHCLG publishes information on yearly local authority expenditure: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing.MHCLG also publishes regular statistics on rough sleeping, statutory homelessness, temporary accommodation and homelessness prevention and relief. These are published at national, London and local authority level. The latest statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics.Flexible Homelessness Support Grant gives local authorities more control and flexibility in managing homelessness pressures. Unlike the DWP Temporary Accommodation Management Fee, which was a reactive payment that could only be used for particular types of Temporary Accommodation, this grant is upfront funding which can be used flexibly as part of councils’ resourcing for their homelessness strategies.The grant forms part of the Government’s end to end approach to preventing and tackling homelessness. We are ring-fencing the grant of £615 million for three years to secure its investment in homelessness services and enable local authorities to focus on homelessness prevention.It sits alongside other funding for homelessness, including the £316 million Homelessness Prevention funding and our £50 million homelessness prevention package.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason households in the area surrounding Grenfell Tower which were made homeless by the Grenfell Tower fire are excluded from statistics on the rehousing process for survivors of that fire.

Dominic Raab: Rehousing prioritises those from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk, who lost their homes in the fire. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council regularly provides statistics on the rehousing process for households from the wider Estate who are also eligible for rehousing under the Wider Grenfell Rehousing Policy, as well as for those from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk, and I have provided such statistics to Members previously.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will ensure that all households made homeless by the Grenfell Tower fire regardless of whether they lived in that tower are offered secure tenancies when they are rehoused.

Dominic Raab: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council made a commitment to rehouse in permanent social housing anyone who, immediately before the fire, was living at Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk as their main home; this includes council tenants, resident leaseholders, subtenants or lodgers and tenants of non-resident leaseholders.Households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk who accept a council property will be offered a lifetime secure tenancy, and households from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk who accept a housing association property will be offered a lifetime assured tenancy. The Council has guaranteed that those who held a council tenancy at Grenfell Tower or Grenfell Walk who move into a permanent housing association property will continue to have at least the same tenancy rights as they previously had.Of the households from the wider Estate who moved into emergency accommodation after the fire, many have returned to their homes. I understand that some residents do not want to return home or do not yet feel ready to do so. For those who do not yet feel ready to return home, the Council is ensuring that suitable, good quality, self-contained interim accommodation is available, and is focusing on making refurbishments and repairs to accommodation on the Lancaster West Estate to enable people to return.For those who do not wish to return home, the Council has published a permanent rehousing offer. This applies to council tenants from Barandon, Hurstway and Testerton Walks and Bramley and Treadgold Houses. Eligible households from those blocks who accept a council property will be offered a lifetime secure tenancy and eligible households from those blocks who accept a housing association property will be offered an assured tenancy. The Council will request that housing associations grant tenancies of at least the same length as that held by the tenant previously.

Unitary Councils: Northamptonshire

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposal by the independent inspection report on Northamptonshire County Council to create two unitary councils in Northamptonshire on shared services between South Northamptonshire District Council and Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire; and if he will make a statement.

Rishi Sunak: Following receipt of the Northamptonshire County Council Best Value Inspection report, the Secretary of State has invited principal councils in Northamptonshire to develop and submit proposals for establishing unitary councils across the county. In assessing any proposals submitted to him the Secretary of State will consider the extent to which they are likely to improve, as compared with existing structures including where relevant the arrangements between South Northamptonshire and Cherwell District Councils, local government and service delivery across the area of the proposal.

Refuges: Finance

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect the proposed reforms to supported housing on the financial sustainability of women’s refuges.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: These reforms will see the same amount of funding as would have been available through Housing Benefit in 2020/21 made available as a grant to directly fund bed spaces instead. Everyone who would be eligible under the current system to have their housing costs met by housing benefit will continue to have their housing costs met through the short-term funding model.We are listening to the views of the domestic abuse sector and are considering feedback through the current consultation which closed on 23 January.In the meantime, we are carrying out a comprehensive review of how domestic abuse services, including refuge, are delivered locally. It will give us for the first time a robust picture of domestic abuse service provision for all victims across England. It will enable us to assess the impact of the Priorities for Domestic Abuse Services and identify any gaps in provision, so we have the best possible evidence on which to make decisions about future, sustainable funding for these vital services. The review will conclude in the summer.The review will be informed by an audit of all local authority commissioned domestic abuse services. We have commissioned Ipsos MORI to lead this work. We are working with a wide range of stakeholders and other Government departments to ensure the audit is robust and supported by their data.

Private Rented Housing

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage private sector landlords to provide longer-term contracts.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is committed to protecting the rights of tenants and giving them more security.We have published a model tenancy agreement which landlords and tenants can use as the basis for longer, family friendly tenancies, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/model-agreement-for-a-shorthold-assured-tenancyWe will shortly be launching a consultation seeking views on the benefits and barriers to landlords offering longer tenancies in the private rented sector. This work will inform any next steps, including costs, of how we can support landlords to offer more secure tenancies.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Equality

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2017 to Question 438, on Ministry of Defence: equality, for what reasons the strategic equality objectives were not published in August 2017.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence did not publish its strategic equality objectives in August 2017 as the Government's Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy had not been published at the time. The Ministry of Defence has been undertaking a review of its Diversity and Inclusion strategy, including the strategic equality objectives, to ensure that it continues to have the desired impact on the organisation, building on the good work already undertaken. We are working to publish the new strategy and strategic objectives as soon as possible.

Army: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2018 to Question 127841, on Army: Recruitment, if he will publish (a) a copy of the digital file or a link to each social media asset used in paid campaigns by his Department for Army recruitment advertisements and (b) each platform those assets were published on in (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Army: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many print adverts focused on Army recruitment were placed in regional newspapers by newspaper in each of the last three financial years.

Mark Lancaster: The Army's Recruiting campaigns utilise national media platforms, such as national UK newspapers and online content. Adverts may also appear in publications associated with events, such as apprenticeship shows and job fairs.These campaigns have not utilised regional newspaper print advertising in the past three years and no records are held centrally of Army units placing adverts in regional newspapers.Some Army Reserve regiments may have placed localised print adverts in regional newspapers, but this information is not held centrally.

Army Foundation College: Contracts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the external companies contracted to provide services to Army Foundation College Harrogate in each of the last three years; and what budget was allocated to each of those companies in that same period.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The table below shows the companies directly contracted to provide services to Army Foundation College Harrogate (AFC(H)) in each of the last three financial years (FY), along with the expenditure incurred to each of those companies. This includes the Private Finance Initiative with Defence Training Services Limited: AFC(H) Expenditure £000Company NameFY2015-16FY2016-17FY2017-18 (until 28 Feb 2018)Defence Training Services Limited20,50021,10021,700Sodexo223937Industrial Safety Inspections111SDL Group Ltd222Allstar Business Solutions Ltd13612791Babcock Land Ltd679483543Agility Project Logistics Limited --Corona Emergence62120327EDF Energy Customers Plc467256615BOC111Carwood Motor Units Ltd123Corporate Document Services Ltd-- Euroshell Deutschland GMBH & Co. KG321Software Box Limited-- Veolia ES (UK) Limited12- Williams Lea Limited161Motif8 Embroidery & Print Ltd5432-Spring House Group17--Turner Virr & Co Ltd-3-Jevons and Siddall Limited-2-Paintball North Limited152-Petards Joyce-Loebl Limited8--Peter Plews T/A Abbotts Memorial Company --Serco Limited2--St. John Ambulance3-- Notes:  Figures have been rounded to the nearest £1000.00.

Ministry of Defence: Apprentices

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much money his Department spent (a) on each website and (b) in total on those websites on which apprenticeship advertisements aimed at people aged between 16–19 years-old in each of the last three financial years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's total spend was on advertisements for apprenticeship schemes aimed at people between 16 and 19 years-old was on (a) Facebook and (b) Twitter in each of the last three financial years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Armed Forces of 5 March 2018, Official Report, column 20, what estimate he has made of the cost of moving 150 personnel to act as role models on the frontline for recruiting.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister for the Armed Forces of 5 March 2018, Official Report, column 20, what budget will pay the cost of providing 150 personnel to act as role models on the frontline for recruiting.

Mark Lancaster: Under improvements to its recruiting processes the Army, working with Capita, is implementing a new operating model that combines the current centralised call-centre approach with more regionalised activity. This will see an adjusted mix of professional civilian recruiters and representative, role-model soldiers engaging directly with individual candidates to nurture them through the process. The new model is intended to improve the number of applicants converted into enlistments. There will be no additional cost. This improved model is a part of the Army-Capita Recruiting Partnering Project and will be delivered within the existing financial and benefits approval assumptions.

Ministry of Defence: Contracts

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Permanent Secretary before the Committee of Public Accounts on 1 March 2017 HC 957, Q135  how many contracts of value over £100m awarded since the 2015 SDSR have taken tax revenues into account as an award criteria; and what the weighting was in each of those contracts.

Guto Bebb: Each year, the Ministry of Defence awards a significant number of contracts, taking into account a number of elements to determine what is the most economically advantageous tender. We do not take tax revenues into account as an award criteria in government procurement as this would be inconsistent with demonstration of value for money as set out in the HM Treasury Green Book.

Navy: Military Bases

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's (a) resources and (b) expertise to administer (i) multiple and (ii) interrelated contracts in the event that the maritime support delivery framework is broken up into smaller contracts under the future maritime support strategy.

Guto Bebb: The Future Maritime Support Programme will consider a range of value for money options for the effective delivery of Naval Base services and engineering support to Royal Navy warships and submarines when the current Maritime Support Delivery Framework contracts expire in March 2020.The programme is currently in its Concept Phase and it is therefore too early to comment on the future strategy.

Type 31 Frigates: Procurement

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on procuring Type 31e frigates; and if he will make a statement.

Guto Bebb: The programme to procure the Type 31e Frigate was launched in September 2017 and since then we have been engaged with potential suppliers to understand the market place and assess industry's ability to deliver.

Warships: Procurement

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on procuring fleet support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement.

Guto Bebb: The Fleet Solid Support ships are being procured through international competition. The project began a four-year assessment phase in April 2016 and has recently completed a period of market engagement with UK and international shipbuilders.

Armed Forces: Housing

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many residents in Service Family Accommodation are paying (a) reduced and (b) no rent as a result of the standard of accommodation in each of the last three years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: There are no Service personnel who reside in Service Family Accommodation at nil cost due to the standard of accommodation. There are a number who pay reduced charges, mainly due to improvement works and these are detailed below.  Financial YearNumber of Residents in Properties Subject to Reduced Charges2015-16The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.2016-172,1322017-181,212

AWACS

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2018 to Question 132489, on what basis he plans to decide to run an open tender competition to replace the RAF's airborne early warning aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2018 to Question 132489, on AWACS, if he will identify in the tender process the long-term (a) support and (b) maintenance costs in the value for money assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Guto Bebb: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has yet to determine the way forward for the Airborne Warning and Control Systems Capability Sustainment Programme. Any decision on the way forward will be taken in the best interests of the National Security of the United Kingdom against current and emergent threats, and will only be made after full consideration within the MOD.

AWACS

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2018 to Question 132489, on AWACS, whether he has allocated an out of service date for the current RAF airborne early warning aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Guto Bebb: The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review recognised the need to invest in and sustain the RAF's Air Battlespace Management capability to at least 2035. This is being considered as part of the Airborne Warning and Control Systems Capability Sustainment Programme.

Iraq: Islamic State

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to counter resurgence of Islamic State in northern Iraq.

Mark Lancaster: Since Prime Minister Abadi announced the defeat of Daesh's so-called Caliphate in Iraq on 9 December 2017, Iraqi Security Forces continue to conduct operations to consolidate their gains. The UK, as part of the Global Coalition, recognises the ongoing threat posed by Daesh, and we have pledged to work to counter its re-emergence, working alongside the Iraqi Government. As a demonstration of our commitment, the Prime Minister announced during her visit to Iraq in November 2017 that the UK will invest £10 million to build Iraq's counter-terrorist capability. We have generated plans to continue to assist Iraq by training its security forces and enhancing their ability to respond to the threat.

Trident Submarines

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister of 28 March 2018, whether the £600 million for the Dreadnought program has been allocated from the centrally held £0.8 billion contingency for nuclear projects.

Gavin Williamson: The Ministry of Defence will benefit from an extra £800 million in the next financial year, myself and the Chancellor have confirmed.This includes access to £600 million from the Dreadnought contingency, announced in 2015, and will ensure that the UK's new world-class nuclear submarines are delivered on time and within the £31 billion budget agreed at the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2015.In addition £200 million was agreed at the Supplementary Estimates earlier in the year.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 17 of the National Security Capability Review, when his Department plans to bring forward proposals for changes to the compensation paid to (a) injured personnel and (b) families of those killed on operations.

Gavin Williamson: The Ministry of Defence consulted publicly on its proposals to introduce better combat compensation for those injured, and the families of those killed, in combat operations through its 'Better Combat Compensation' consultation. The Department is considering all contributions to that consultation carefully and will publish a response in due course.

Armed Forces

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 17 of the National Security Capabilities Review, what estimate he has made of the minimum size of the armed forces required to deliver Joint Force 2025.

Gavin Williamson: The Ministry of Defence has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Armed Forces: Training

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 31 of the National Security Capabilities Review, published in July 2017, which countries have taken part in International Defence Training courses; and how many nationals of those countries have taken part in each such course since 2015.

Mark Lancaster: The figures quoted in the National Security Capabilities Review (NSCR) relate to international participation in more than 80 separate training courses. The majority of these courses are delivered in the UK, but there are a small number of courses delivered overseas. The tables in the attached document provide the following information:Tables 1-11: The number of participants, by country, in the highest profile UK-based courses for which there is a consistent high level of international demand for places.Tables 12-14: The number of courses delivered overseas by country, and the total number of participants across those courses. (This figure includes estimated participant numbers for some courses).Tables 15-16: The total number of international participants by year across the other 70 courses covered by the figure quoted in the NSCR, and a list of countries who have sent participants to any of these courses.



MOD - International Defence Training Courses
(Word Document, 47.87 KB)

Armed Forces: Children

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has allocate funding to his Department's Education Support Fund after April 2018.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Education for Service children is one of the core pillars of the Armed Forces Covenant; ensuring that Service children are not disadvantaged in comparison with their non-Service peers as a result of their parents' service. The Service Pupil Premium provides extra funding to state schools, free schools and academies attended by Service children in England, and the School Admissions Code provides specific measures relating to the school admissions process for Service families.The Educational Support Fund (ESF) was only ever intended to be a temporary measure, primarily to aid the drawdown of Armed Forces personnel and their families from Germany, and the Ministry of Defence is currently reviewing whether there is a requirement to extend the ESF. Ongoing support for Service children will continue to be provided by the Service Pupil Premium.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the reasons are for the delay to the RAF's Protector unmanned aircraft system programme.

Guto Bebb: There are no technical issues delaying the Protector programme, which is progressing well. We are simply managing a seamless transition between getting the most out of our current Reaper aircraft, which is helping us defeat Daesh in the Middle East, and moving to the cutting-edge Protector.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the (i) operating and (ii) maintenance costs for the fleet of 138 F-35 aircraft.

Guto Bebb: The estimated running cost of an F-35 aircraft is set out in the F-35 Selected Acquisition Report published annually by the US Department of Defense.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Facebook

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the target audience was for his Department's Exporting is GREAT Facebook campaign.

David Mundell: All the Office’s Facebook posts are posted organically and can be seen by anyone. A small amount of budget was used to promote the exporting roadshow visit to a business audience in the area around Gretna (including England) to encourage attendance following low levels of registration up to that point. Exporting is GREAT is a campaign run by the Department for International Trade.

Scotland Office: Facebook

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, for what reason his Department's Facebook advertising campaign entitled Budget 2017 was targeted at people interested in issues connected to the armed forces.

David Mundell: The audience for the Scotland Office’s social media posts for Budget 2017 was everyone in Scotland aged between 16 and 60. The targeting of people interested in issues connected to the Armed Forces was connected to the Burns Night campaign, which featured military personnel.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the (a) set-up and (b) running costs were for the (a) twitter account @youdecide2014, (b) website www.youdecide2014.uk, (c) facebook page @youdecide2014 and (d) Buzzfeed user YouDecide2014.

David Mundell: The You Decide 2014 social accounts and website and Buzzfeed account were not created by the Scotland Office.

Scotland Office: Social Media

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what decisions on social media advertising campaigns run by his Department are made by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department.

David Mundell: The communications strategy and priorities for the Office, including social media, are agreed between the relevant officials and Ministers.

Scotland Office: Social Media

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will publish the audience target filters used by his Department in each of its social media advertising campaigns since 2010.

David Mundell: The Office has run promoted social media campaigns since 2016. Audience selection has only taken place in that period. Many of these audiences have already been placed in the public domain. In addition, the Office’s social media posts are made available to all adults Scotland-wide.

Scotland Office: Social Media

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what criteria his Department uses to select the audience for social media advertising campaigns.

David Mundell: All the Office’s social media posts are made available to general audiences in Scotland. Where posts are promoted, officials select the most appropriate and relevant audiences in relation to the post.

Department for International Trade

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of the ML4 rated arms licenses issued for export to Saudi Arabia was utilised in the period (a) 1 March 2013 to 28 February 2015 and (b) and 1 March 2015 to 30 June 2017.

Graham Stuart: Our records show the following:Period a) 20 Licences were issued, 12 Licences were fully utilised; 3 licences were partially utilised and 5 licences were not utilised;Period b) 28 Licences were issued, 11 Licences were fully utilised; 7 licences were partially utilised and 10 licences were not utilised.Licensing usage records rely on data provided directly by HMRC. The Department for International Trade is not responsible for the data and cannot verify its accuracy

Export Controls

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for which periods since 2010, members of the the Gulf Cooperation Council received a green rating for each of the 22 groups of military items on the UK Strategic Export Control Lists.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, by what methodology the RAG ratings used by desk officers within the Export Control Joint Unit are determined.

Graham Stuart: RAG ratings are not used to assess export licence applications.Each export licence application is assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, which provide a thorough risk assesment framework and require us to think hard about the impact of providing equipment and its capabilities.Standard Individual Export Licence applications are sifted initially by end user destination into three broad categories: Red, Grey and Green. they have no bearing on the outcome of the application and are confidential.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the level of potential exports of floating offshore wind power technology in the next five years.

Graham Stuart: The global offshore market is a significant opportunity for UK companies.The Department for International Trade works with key UK suppliers, foreign Governments, sector focussed trade associations and procuring authorities to increase exports in the offshore wind sector.In addition, UK Export Finance (UKEF) support is available for UK exporters throughout the renewable energy sector and welcomes new applications for support. Since 2015, UKEF has provided support on contracts worth over £200m to UK exporters in the offshore renewable energy sector.

Women and Equalities

LGBT People

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what meetings her Department held with LGBT+ organisations in 2017.

Victoria Atkins: The LGBT policy team at the Government Equalities Office meet with a range of organisations regularly and will continue to do so as part of their ongoing policy engagement. In 2017, they met with key stakeholders including the LGBT Foundation, Intersex UK, the LGBT Consortium, Stonewall, GIRES Gendered Intelligence and the Commonwealth Equality Network.The UK has a proud record of promoting equality for LGBT people, including introducing marriage for same-sex couples. We continue to be recognised as one of the most progressive countries in Europe for LGBT rights by ILGA-Europe. Meeting with LGBT+ organisations ensures that we continue to be at the forefront of progressing LGBT rights in this country.

Government Equalities Office: Cambridge Analytica​ and SCL Group

Neil Gray: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she or her predecessors met with representatives of the SCL group or Cambridge Analytica.

Victoria Atkins: Neither my Right Honourable Friend, nor any of her recent predecessors have had meetings with the SCL Group or Cambridge Analytica in their role as Minister for Women and Equalities.

Government Equalities Office: Cambridge Analytica​ and SCL Group

Neil Gray: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department has had contracts with SCL group or Cambridge Analytica.

Victoria Atkins: The Government Equalities Office has had no contracts with SCL Group or Cambridge Analytica.

Department for Transport

International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has for the UK to conform to the obligations on ballast water management for the control of invasive non-native species necessary to accede to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to give effect to the obligations of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments in UK law.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to ratify the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The UK fully supports the International Convention for the Control and Managements of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments and domestic legislation is currently under development to enable the UK to accede to the Convention, and effectively implement the obligations. Guidance has already been issued to UK Shipowners on the requirements of the Convention in order to support implementation.

Railways: Contracts

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of the merger of Siemens and Alstom (a) on the value for money delivered to Network Rail’s signalling framework contract process and (b) the competitiveness of the wider supply side of the UK rail industry.

Joseph Johnson: Network Rail is aware of the proposed merger of Siemens’ and Alstom’s rail divisions and will be supporting the European Commission in its assessment of the proposals in line with the process outlined in the Commission’s Mergers and Implementation Regulation. As with all of its procurement frameworks, Network Rail’s signalling framework is structured to encourage diverse supplier participation, in addition to investment and innovation. Network Rail will continue to assess its supply chain, as well as the wider market, to identify opportunities to further boost competition and deliver a safe and efficient service to its customers.

Department for Transport: Staff

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to (a) restructure (b) reorganise and (c) increase the number of staff in his Department in preparation for the UK leaving the EU.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: In 2016, the Department for Transport established a new Directorate to co-ordinate the Department’s work on EU Exit and international trade. New EU Exit policy teams have already been established for all modal teams (road, rail, maritime, aviation, and energy, technology and innovation), with the majority of these posts being filled by staff already in the Department. The Department for Transport will be further strengthening our capacity over the coming months in preparation for leaving the EU, though numbers will not be substantial and this will be managed within existing structures.

Harrow and Wealdstone Station

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for how long the ticket hall at Harrow and Wealdstone station will be closed for repair; and if he will make a statement.

Joseph Johnson: This station is managed by Transport for London. They have informed me that the ticket hall on the Wealdstone exit/entrance, at Harrow & Wealdstone station has been closed. Unfortunately, they are not yet able to give a date for the reopening of this part of the station. The Harrow entrance to the station remains open and passengers are able to access all platforms.

Railways: Standards

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to tackle delays on TfL Rail services.

Joseph Johnson: In London, transport is devolved to the Mayor and delivered by Transport for London. The performance of transport services such as TfL Rail are a matter for the Mayor to manage.

Driving Standards Agency: Closures

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test stations have closed in each constituency since 2010.

Jesse Norman: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has closed nine driving test centres since 2010; this consists of four car driving test centres, one motorcycle driving test centre and four lorry driving test centres. The sites were closed either because the usage agreement was terminated by the landlord, the property was sold by the site landlord or the site was no longer suitable for testing. The following table shows the name of each driving test centre that has closed, the type of test that was carried out and the constituency:   Name of driving test centre  Type of test  ConstituencyAberporthMotorcycleCeredigionAshton-under-LyneCarAshton Under LyneBromsgroveCarBromsgroveCongletonCarCongletonGloucesterLorryGloucesterIslay IslandLorryArgyll and ButeNeathLorryNeathRutherglenCarRutherglen and Hamilton WestSimonswood (Liverpool)LorryWest Lancashire

Railway Stations

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many railway stations (a) opened and (b) closed in each constituency in each year since 2010.

Joseph Johnson: Since 2010, thirty seven stations have opened, and three have been closed. I attach a table for ease.



List of Table showing stations opend and closed
(Excel SpreadSheet, 12.37 KB)

Community Transport: Finance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department provides to community transport providers in (a) Newcastle, (b) the North East of England and (c) England.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support community transport initiatives in the North East of England.

Jesse Norman: The Department has funded community transport operators in the North East of England during the 2016/17 financial year through the Department’s Bus Service Operator’s Grant (BSOG). BSOG payments made to community transport operators in (a) Newcastle were over £6,000, (b) the North East of England were over £82,000 and (c) England were approximately £3.5 million. BSOG payments made directly to community transport operators in England are published annually on the Gov.uk website and are available via this link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-service-operators-grant-payments-to-english-operators-up-to-31-march-2017 Additionally, two of the winners of the second round of the Community Minibus Fund (CMF) were based in the North East of England and received vehicles last financial year from the Department for the benefit of their passengers.

Aviation: Camberwell and Peckham

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 23 January 2017 to Question 60536, what plans his Department has to record the level of aircraft noise in Camberwell and Peckham; and what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the addition of a third runway at Heathrow Airport on noise levels in Camberwell and Peckham.

Jesse Norman: The Government continues to expect airports to help local communities understand the noise impacts they are affected by, through appropriate noise monitoring and the provision of relevant information. At this stage, it is not possible to identify the exact noise impacts on specific communities after potential expansion. The Appraisal of Sustainability that accompanies the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement provides a strategic level assessment of the unmitigated noise impacts of expansion based on indicative flightpaths. If the revised draft Airports NPS is designated, precise flight paths for the Northwest Runway scheme would be defined through the Civil Aviation Authority’s Airspace Change Process. It is through this regulatory process that communities would see and have the opportunity to comment on the detailed proposals for new flightpaths. Any such proposals would need to take account of the Department’s new policies on appraising options for airspace design. In addition, the Government expects an applicant for development consent for Heathrow expansion to commit to a package of supporting measures to limit the impacts of noise on local communities, including the provision of more predictable periods of respite. These supporting measures would be finalised through the planning process, or the exercise of statutory powers, and be subject to public consultation.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the second remedial plan for Govia Thameslink Railway will be published.

Joseph Johnson: The second Remedial Plan for Govia Thameslink Railway will be published when the agreed redactions have taken place.

Motor Vehicles: Lighting

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to review The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989,1989 No. 1796, PART III, Regulation 27; what assessment his Department has made of the effect of brighter car headlamps on other road users; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 already contains a general provision preventing headlamps from causing undue dazzle or discomfort to other road users. However, the regulations governing the performance of lamps fitted to new vehicles are negotiated internationally through the United Nations and, responding to concerns raised by the public about headlamp glare, the UK secured support to establish an experts’ group to review the technical requirements that is expected to report later this year. The Department has made no specific assessment of the effect of brighter car headlamps on other road users but the Police collect data on collisions routinely and the officer attending the scene can record up to six contributory factors based on their initial assessment of the incident. From 2005 to 2016, dazzle from headlamps at night is recorded in 0.77 percent to 1.04 per cent of accidents and shows no discernible increase over that time period. This suggests that any potential trend for increasingly bright headlamps is having little or no significant effect on road safety.

Road Signs and Markings

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on increasing the size of the welcome to England signs on the English Border with Scotland.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport has had no discussions with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport about the size of boundary signs between England and Scotland. The design and size of traffic signs, including those indicating a border, is regulated through the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. It is for the relevant traffic authority to determine the size of signs having regard to the speed of approaching traffic, and they may do so without reference to the Department provided the design meets relevant legislation.

Cars: Exhaust Emissions

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the new car emission regulations on the financial sustainability of kit car industry.

Joseph Johnson: The Government has recently consulted on regulatory proposals to improve road safety and the environmental performance of new road vehicles. The Department is analysing the responses from across the sector, including from kit car manufacturers, which will inform the Government’s decisions on policy going forward. This includes careful consideration of financial implications on the sector. The results of the consultation will be published alongside the consultation documents at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/road-vehicles-improving-air-quality-and-safety

Trailers: Testing

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the introduction of (a) MOTs and (b) other testing regimes for (i) small trailers, (ii) non-commercial trailers and (iii) caravans.

Jesse Norman: The Government has no proposals to change which trailers (including caravans) are tested via the MOT or other testing regimes. Most small trailers and caravans are not required to be tested at present. The requirements relating to trailer testing are kept under review.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Compensation

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2018 to Question 133572, whether any funding allocated by his Department to Network Rail for improvement works on the Southern and Thameslink networks will be paid back to his Department in compensation for disruption during those works.

Joseph Johnson: Compensation is paid by Network Rail to Train Operating Companies for planned disruption on the network (Schedule 4 Payments). No compensation will be paid to Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) as a result of the works referred to in Question 133572 although it will receive some of the money to pay for additional costs it may incur as a result of the disruption to passengers, for example bus replacement services – according to usual industry processes. For other franchises, some compensation would normally be paid to franchisees to reflect the loss of revenue resulting from the engineering work impact. Again this is part of standard industry practice. For the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise, as the Department for Transport takes revenue risk, this compensation will be paid to the Department.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Islamic State: Sexual Offences

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the number of women and girls held in sexual slavery by Daesh; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: It is difficult to estimate accurately the number of women and girls held in sexual slavery by Daesh. Ultimately the only way to free these women is to finally defeat Daesh and liberate all remaining areas under their control. We must also ensure that those women and girls who have been victims of sexual violence are supported properly and that those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice. The UK is urging justice and accountability for the survivors of sexual violence and for an end to the stigma that they, and children born of rape, face. Our work includes leadership in ensuring the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2379 on Daesh Accountability; and contributing £1m to support the establishment of a UN investigative team that will collect evidence of Daesh crimes in Iraq.

Falkland Islands: Premier Oil

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the proposed environmental mitigation measures in the application from Premier Oil to develop the Sea Lion oil field in the Falkland Islands.

Sir Alan Duncan: Policy on hydrocarbons development in Falklands waters is a matter for the Falkland Islands Government.Companies drilling in Falkland Islands waters are governed by the regulatory regime administered by the Falkland Islands Government. The Falkland Islands Government will therefore carry out an assessment of the adequacy of the environmental mitigation measures, once submitted by Premier Oil, on the Sea Lion oil field.

USA: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what  recent discussions he has had with the US administration on the maintenance of the presidential policy guidance on use of drone strikes issued under President Obama; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: The British Government has not held any recent discussions with the US Government on the maintenance of the Presidential Policy Guidance on approving direct action against terrorist targets issued in 2013.

Burma: Rohingya

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative experts have been deployed to Bangladesh to work with Rohingya refugees.

Mark Field: Four members of the FCO’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts (PSVI ToE) have deployed to Bangladesh to support survivors of sexual violence among Rohingya refugees. This technical support has focused on assessing the situation and services available to survivors to inform funding and programming, and on building sustainable capacity among Bangladeshi organisations engaged in gathering and preserving evidence of sexual violence. This forms part of the UK’s wider humanitarian response to the crisis, where we have contributed £59 million, which includes funding for services to tackle violence against women and girls. ​

Colombia: Election Observers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department is planning to send election observers to the upcoming Colombian election.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​Staff from our Embassy in Bogota took part in some monitoring during Congressional elections on 11 March, and will observe Presidential elections in May.

Mexico: Election Observers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department is planning to send election observers to the upcoming Mexican election.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​​We are not sending a formal observers mission to Mexico for the elections. However, officials at our Embassy in Mexico City have attended briefings on the electoral process presented by the National Electoral Institute and by the Electoral Tribunal, and will also informally observe the elections as accredited visitors.

Brazil: Election Observers

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department is planning to send election observers to the upcoming Brazilian election.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no plans to send observers to monitor the Brazilian election.

Jerusalem: Churches

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on ensuring access for Christians to churches in Jerusalem.

Alistair Burt: ​We have not discussed this specific issue with the Israeli authorities. We welcome the repeated commitments of the Israeli Government to uphold freedom of religion for all faiths in Israel.

Sudan: Sanctions

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the US administration on the sanctions regime affecting Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK has not had any recent discussions with the US administration about its bilateral economic sanctions regime, which it decided to lift on 6 October last year. The US decision, welcomed by the UK, was an important step in Sudan's re-engagement with the international community. We continue to work with the Government of Sudan towards a more peaceful, prosperous country for all Sudanese citizens.The UK is subject to and continues to support the UN arms embargo on Darfur, and the EU arms embargo on the whole of Sudan.

South Sudan and Sudan: Oil

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role the Government is playing in ensuring that oil revenues are distributed fairly and according to international agreement between the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: While we monitor the distribution of oil revenues, the British Government does not have a formal role overseeing the agreement between the Sudanese and South Sudanese governments. The two countries continue peacefully to manage the agreement, and neither side has sought international engagement or assistance to implement it.

Philippines: Foreign Relations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met his counterpart in the Phillipines; and what issues were discussed at that meeting.

Mark Field: I met the Philippines Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs in December 2017. We discussed the strong bilateral cooperation between our countries, including on trade and investment. I also raised my concerns over human rights in the Philippines and the high death toll associated with the “war on illegal drugs”, stressing the need for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into killings. We also discussed the situation in Mindanao and broader security and terrorism concerns. I look forward to visiting the Philippines later this year where I hope to continue these discussions.​

Iraq: Armed Conflict

Chris Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of  changes in the level of violence in northern Iraq; and what recent reports he has received of deaths of civilians and security personnel caused by Islamic State in that region.

Alistair Burt: Although violent attacks have been reduced, we are aware of reports of pockets of ongoing violence against civilians and security personnel.The UK condemns all such acts and remains committed to supporting the Government of Iraq as it works to defeat Daesh and put Iraq on the path to long-term peace and stability. The Prime Minister emphasised this message with Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi during her visit in November 2017 and, as a demonstration of our commitment, announced UK investment of £10 million to help build Iraq's counter-terrorist capability. We have plans to continue assisting Iraq by training its security forces, enhancing their ability to respond to the threat.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps the UK Government is taking to (a) support UN Resolution 2401 on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and (b) collect evidence of (i) violations of international humanitarian law and (ii) crimes against humanity.

Alistair Burt: We have repeatedly pressed the Syrian regime and its backers, Russia and Iran, to abide by their obligations under Resolution 2401. The UN Human Rights Council we secured the adoption of a UK-proposed resolution calling for full and immediate implementation of Resolution 2401. The Foreign Secretary and International Development Secretary issued joint statements on 15 March and 22 March, condemning the appalling situation in Eastern Ghouta and calling for the implementation of UNSCR 2401. The UK is committed to ensuring that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses in Syria are held to account and we have been at the forefront of international action.

Burma: Armed Conflict

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of levels of violence and displacement in Rakhine State.

Mark Field: We remain deeply concerned by the suffering inflicted on the Rohingya people. Violence in Rakhine has decreased, but about 100 people a day are still crossing the border. More than 688,000 Rohingya have fled from Burma to Bangladesh since late August 2017.

Philippines: Foreign Relations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he most recently met his Filipino counterpart; and what issues were discussed at that meeting.

Mark Field: I met the Philippines Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs in December 2017. We discussed the strong bilateral cooperation between our countries, including on trade and investment. I also raised my concerns over human rights in the Philippines and the high death toll associated with the “war on illegal drugs”, stressing the need for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into killings. We also discussed the situation in Mindanao and broader security and terrorism concerns. I look forward to visiting the Philippines later this year where I hope to continue these discussions.​

Tunisia: Human Rights

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Written Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question , what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the prospects for transitional justice in Tunisia of the vote by that country’s Parliament on 27 March against extending the mandate of the Truth and Dignity Commission.

Boris Johnson: As of Monday 9 April 2018, members of the Tunisian parliament continue to discuss proposals to extend the mandate of the Truth and Dignity Commission. A consensus has not yet been reached, but I am encouraged by the statements of many of the parties involved, including those in government, reiterating their support for the transitional justice process. Our Embassy in Tunis will continue to follow developments.

Burundi: Politics and Government

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in the Burundi Government on the planned referendum on extending constitutional term limits for the Presidency of that country.

Boris Johnson: Our non-resident Ambassador and officials regularly visit for consultations with the Burundi Government. In our engagements with the Government of Burundi we make clear that while sovereign nations are free to change their constitutions, Presidential term limits should not be changed for the benefit of the incumbent.

Department for International Development

Syria: Internally Displaced People

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking directly through local organisations based in Syria to support civilians evacuating from Eastern Ghouta to Idlib; and what funding her Department (a) has made and (b) plans to make available to those organisations.

Alistair Burt: To date we have committed £897 million to support people in Syria, including in Eastern Ghouta. DFID’s funding in Syria is allocated flexibly in order to allow our humanitarian partners to respond to emerging spikes in need. We do not allocate funding directly to Syrian NGOs, but many of our partners work with such groups on the ground. DFID-funded partners are supporting people displaced from Eastern Ghouta in both Rural Damascus and Idlib. This includes the provision of food, shelter and basic hygiene products.

Overseas Aid

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the UK's gross national income which has been invested in overseas aid in each of the last 10 years; and what comparative estimate her Department has made of those proportions and the proportions spent by other EU countries.

Harriett Baldwin: The proportion of the UK’s gross national income spent on official development assistance (ODA) in each of the last 10 years is given in the table below. The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) publish statistics on the proportions spent by the UK and other donors and the latest data is found with this link http://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-data/ Table: UK ODA as a percentage of UK GNI, 2008-2017YearODA/GNI %20080.4320090.5120100.5720110.5620120.5720130.7020140.7020150.702016R0.702017P0.70R: revised from previously published.P: based on provisional ODA spend for 2017Source: Statistics on International Development

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the merits of the proposed transfer of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char Island.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has made an assessment of the viability of Bhasan Char Island the relocation of Rohingya refugees.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has received assurances from her counterpart in the Bangladesh Government on the adequacy of food, water and other resources for Rohingya refugees relocated to Bhasan Char Island.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she plans to contribute to the relocation of Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char Island.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of the Government of Bangladesh’s plans to relocate some Rohingya refugees to Bashan Char Island. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.

Yemen: International Assistance

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the delivery and distribution of aid, including food, to Yemen through the ports in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: Yemen relies on imports to meet 90% of its basic needs like food and fuel. Humanitarian aid provides only 5-15% of the total need: commercial imports supply the rest. The effectiveness of the delivery of both commercial and humanitarian goods through Yemeni ports remains significantly below the level needed. In March, only 45% of the estimated monthly food needs and 51% of the monthly fuel needs have been met through imports via all sea ports. One way we are supporting commercial imports into Red Sea ports is through our support to the UN Verification Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM). We are providing £1.3 million to UNVIM this financial year (2017/18) and have provided UK experts on the ground in Djibouti. This extra capacity has enabled UNVIM to increase its physical inspections of commercial ships fivefold. This provides assurances to the Saudi-led Coalition that shipments are legitimate and not a threat to their national security.

Developing Countries: Overseas Trade

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the openness to trade in UK (a) goods and (b) services of developing countries in receipt of UK aid broken down by recipient country.

Harriett Baldwin: The Department for International Trade and the Department for International Development are working together to ensure development and global prosperity are at the heart of UK trade and investment policy, supporting countries to leave aid dependency behind and become our trading partners of the future.Assessments of trade openness are available from sources such as the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Policy Reviews. In countries where DFID has a bilateral aid programme, DFID is helping to address the barriers to inclusive growth.

Developing Countries: Community Relations

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has (a) made and (b) received representations from the charitable sector on the effectiveness of people-to-people or coexistence projects.

Alistair Burt: DFID has engaged with several stakeholders in the people-to-people community, including not-for profit organisations, in considering the effectiveness of people-to-people projects. Ministers approved the ‘People for Peaceful change’ business case which reviewed the effectiveness of people-to-people programming including through analysis of independent research. The relevant documents can be found on the DevTracker page at this address: https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/projects/GB-GOV-1-300366

Israel: Palestinians

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what consultation her Department had prior to the announcement of the People For Peaceful Change project in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories .

Alistair Burt: During the scoping phase of DFID’s People for Peaceful Change programme, officials consulted with local civil society organisations working in the people-to-people field in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent estimate she has made of the number of Rohingya refugees crossing the Bangladesh-Burma border; and what assessment she has made of the capacity of refugee camps in Bangladesh to cope with the number of refugees entering that country.

Alistair Burt: The UN estimates that 1,000 people a week are still crossing the border from Burma to Bangladesh. Existing refugee camps are already overcrowded. In light of the imminent monsoon and cyclone season we are encouraging the Government of Bangladesh to reduce the population density of the existing camps by allocating additional land that is at lower risk of flooding and landslides, and to put evacuation plans in place including to safe places such as cyclone shelters.

Iraq: Sexual Offences

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the local capacity available in Iraq to support victims of sexual violence by Daesh.

Alistair Burt: The UN, in consultation with the Government of Iraq, regularly assesses humanitarian needs, including the level of support required for victims of sexual violence that cannot be met locally. The UK engages regularly with the UN on the needs assessment process. For 2018 the UN has allocated $65 million providing specialised protection services to highly vulnerable individuals, including to support victims of sexual violence.

Department for International Development: Payroll Deduction Scheme

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2018 to Question 134106, on Department for International Development: Payroll Reduction Scheme, if she will assess the potential merits of enabling departmental staff to contribute to a credit union via payroll; and if she will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID will assess the potential merits and viability of enabling departmental staff to contribute to a credit union via payroll if at any time we receive a request from our employees to provide such a facility.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect on humanitarian access to Rohingya refugees of resettling those people on Bhasan Char island.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans the Government has to raise concerns with representatives of the Bangladesh Government on the proposal to resettle Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char island at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has provided (a) financial and (b) other support to the Government of Bangladesh for the development of Bhasan Char as a resettlement area for Rohingya refugees.

Alistair Burt: My officials and I have made clear to the Government of Bangladesh that any relocation of refugees must be safe, dignified, informed and voluntary, in accordance with international humanitarian principles, standards and laws. The UK Government has concerns that the island may not provide safe accommodation for Rohingya refugees and we have shared these concerns with the Government of Bangladesh. We will continue to do so, including in international meetings. The UK Government has had no involvement in developing plans for the proposed relocation of refugees to the island. We continue to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our humanitarian partners to further understand this proposal and its suitability. We have not received a request from the Government of Bangladesh to contribute to the relocation of refugees to Bhasan Char Island, or details of plans regarding the provision of food, water or other resources to people who may be accommodated on the Island.

Gaza: Reconstruction

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on economic revitalisation in Gaza.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for International Development has not recently held any discussions with her Israeli counterparts on economic revitalisation in Gaza. The UK remains gravely concerned about the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza. In August 2017, Minister Burt met with Israeli officials to discuss various issues including the dire need to improve the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza. We welcome all practical steps to improve conditions as a matter of urgency. HMG officials regularly discuss economic revitalisation in Gaza with their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts. For example, on 13 March, senior HMG officials attended a United States hosted conference on the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza alongside representatives from 20 countries, including Israel.

St Helenas: Airports

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the cost of Medevac evacuations from St Helena was in each of the last 5 years.

Harriett Baldwin: Flights are activated for lifesaving medical emergencies only, but the St Helena Government’s (SHG) Health Directorate will where possible send other urgent medical referrals on the same flight to maximise value for money. In 2016/17, there were 5 medical evacuation flights (transporting 9 patients) at a cost to the SHG of £203,160. In 2017/18, there were 8 medical evacuation flights (transporting 13 patients) costing £406,820. Urgent lifesaving medical evacuations were not possible until the airport opened in St Helena. The first medical evacuation flight was on 3 June 2016. Before then, the island relied primarily on the Royal Mail Ship St Helena to get patients off the island for medical treatment. There are, therefore, no comparable medevac figures pre-2016.

Department for Education

Schools: Finance

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which local authorities have (a) been granted permission to move (i) up to 0.5%, or (ii) in excess of 0.5% of Schools Block funding to High Needs Block funding, (b) been denied permission to move Schools Block funding to High Needs Block funding and (c) made a request to move Schools Block funding to High Needs Block funding but no decision has yet been made; and what criteria his Department uses to determine those applications.

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133410 on Schools: Finance, what criteria his Department uses for decisions to (a) allow, (b) refuse and (c) partially allow funding transfers.

Nadhim Zahawi: For the funding year 2018 to 2019, the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant is ring-fenced and local authorities can only transfer up to 0.5 per cent of their schools block funding to another block, if they have the approval of their schools forum. Local authorities were only required to submit a request to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State if they wished to transfer more than 0.5 per cent out of the schools block, and/or if they did not receive support from the schools forum. Decisions have been made on 27 requests, the attached table details the outcome of each request, categorised by the percentage transfer. There are no outstanding requests to transfer funding from the schools block to the high needs block. Each request was assessed against the factors published in paragraph 122 of the schools revenue funding 2018 to 2019 operational guide available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pre-16-schools-funding-guidance-for-2018-to-2019. Decisions were made based on the evidence provided by the local authority for each element of their disapplication request.



2018_2019_Dedicated_Schools_Grant
(Word Document, 35.4 KB)

Schools: Buildings

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Audit Office report, Capital funding for schools, published in February 2017, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of returning all school buildings to satisfactory or better condition.

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to carry out an updated property data survey.

Nick Gibb: The Department have invested £5.6 billion since 2015 to maintain and improve school facilities, and rebuild or replace buildings in the worst condition. In addition, the £4.4 billion Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding or refurbishing school buildings in the very worst condition across the country. Local authorities, academy trusts and others responsible for school buildings conduct their own assessments of condition so that they can prioritise investment of capital funding to meet local needs. The Department is undertaking the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme, the successor to the Property Data Survey (PDS) programme, which is expected to be completed in autumn 2019. CDC will provide a high-level assessment of the building condition of all state-funded schools and will inform our approach to capital funding. Until then, the PDS remains the most up to date national dataset.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 86 of the Ninth Report of Session 2017-19 of the Treasury Select Committee, HC 757, whether the funding arrangements for the 2018-19 academic year take into consideration the increase in the national minimum wage and auto-enrolment into workplace pensions.

Nadhim Zahawi: By 2019 – 2020, we will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support, including £1 billion a year to deliver the 30 hour childcare entitlement and fund the increase in rates that we introduced in April 2017. Our increased level of funding was based on our comprehensive “Review of Childcare Costs” which looked at both the current costs of childcare provision and the implications of future cost pressures. The Review was described as “thorough and wide ranging” by the National Audit Office. We front-loaded our funding increases, rather than staggering them over time, so that providers could benefit from them as soon as possible. We continue to monitor delivery costs and have commissioned new research to provide us with robust and detailed cost data from a representative sample of early years providers.

Schools: Staff

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether payments for school efficiency advisers who are already employed as school business professionals will be made to the school that employs them; and whether such advisers will be paid to advise the school that already employs those advisers.

Nick Gibb: The majority of School Efficiency Advisers (SEAs) are practising school business professionals working in the sector. Payment for their deployments as SEAs will go directly to the school or academy trust that employs them.These advisers will not be paid to advise the school or academy trust that already employs them, but will be deployed to advise other schools and trusts.

STEM Subjects: Teachers

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.11 of the Migration Advisory Committee’s report of the 27 March 2018, EEA-workers in the UK labour market: Interim Update, what steps he plans to take to ensure that there is not a shortage of academics available to teach STEM subjects after the UK leaves the EU.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 1.11 of the Migration Advisory Committee’s report of the 27 March 2018, EEA-workers in the UK labour market: Interim Update, what discussions he has had with the (a) Home Secretary and (b) Secretary of State for the Department for Exiting the European Union on universities being able to continue to recruit academics to teach STEM subjects after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The government recognises that the ability to continue to attract Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) academics from across the EU post-exit is a priority for the higher education (HE) sector. That is why departments are working to ensure the interests of the HE sector are represented in EU exit planning, and the government has been clear that the UK will remain open to academic staff and researchers from Europe and beyond. To help provide certainty to current and prospective EU academics, in December 2017 we reached an agreement with the EU that EU citizens living in the UK when we exit will be able to get on with their lives broadly as now, and enjoy rights such as access to healthcare, benefits, and education. We will extend the December deal to those that arrive during the implementation period, but EU citizens who arrive here during this period must register with the Home Office after three months residence in the UK. We are considering the options for our future migration system and a crucial part of this work is the government commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee to assess the impact of EU exit on the UK labour market. Their report in September will help to inform our thinking. Elsewhere, the government is taking steps to increase the supply of important STEM skills, including by supporting new institutions such as the New Model in Technology and Engineering and the Institute of Coding, where a consortium of employers and universities will ensure HE courses meet the needs of the economy.

Skilled Workers: Vacancies

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of predicted skills shortages in each sector as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

Anne Milton: The department recently conducted the latest Employer Skills Survey, which provides robust assessments of skills shortages across the UK by region and by sector. The results of this survey will be published later in 2018 and will provide insight into different industries’ skill needs. Findings from the previous Employer Skills Survey in 2015, which was run by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, are available on GOV.UK. The department also holds responsibility for Working Futures, which provides labour market projections https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-labour-market-projections-2014-to-2024. We are making our skills system more responsive to employer needs. As a part of this, the department is working with local areas to bring about a closer alignment between skills supply (from FE Colleges, training providers, apprenticeships, as well as centrally-held programmes) and local employer demand. We are also supporting employers to lead the design of new technical education programmes (including apprenticeships and T-levels) to meet the specific skills needs of their industries. This provides an opportunity for employers to maintain and enhance the skills of their workforce.

Careers and Enterprise Company: Finance

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated from the public purse to the Careers and Enterprise Company for (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19.

Anne Milton: The Careers & Enterprise Company is doing excellent work across the country with schools, colleges and employers to improve the information, advice and guidance that young people receive on education, training and employment options. This includes funding careers activities in those areas in need of most support. The department’s grant funding allocation for The Careers & Enterprise Company was: 2016-17 £16 million2017-18 £18.8 million We are finalising the grant agreement for 2018-19, which we expect to reflect the expanded role that the Company now has implementing the careers strategy, including a new £5 million Investment Fund to support disadvantaged young people.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Childcare and early education funding in London Report for Greater London Authority, March 2018, published by the Mayor of London and the Family and Childcare Trust on 27 March 2018, if he will make an assessment of the implications for this policy on funding levels for 30 hours of funded childcare in London as a result of the findings in that report.

Nadhim Zahawi: By 2019 - 20 we will be spending a record £6 billion on childcare support, which includes £1 billion a year by 2020 to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and fund the increase in hourly rates that we introduced in April 2017.Our average hourly rates for three and four year olds compare very favourably with published research into the cost of childcare by Frontier Economics.London is benefiting from our investment and has seen an increase of £116 million in their Dedicated Schools Grant early years allocation in 2017-18.We have always been clear that getting the funding right is critical to the successful delivery of the government’s early years entitlements. This is why we have commissioned Frontier Economics to visit a representative sample of childcare providers and spend time with them to understand their costs in detail.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 6 December 2017, HCWS 317, Government asset sale and pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133614, on Student: Loans, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of plan 1 student loans held by the Government that will not be repaid.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The government will produce a revised estimate of the proportion of plan one student loans held by the government that will not be repaid, taking into account the sale of part of the plan one loan book that was completed in December 2017. These are due to be published in the Department for Education’s 2017-18 annual report and accounts in summer 2018.

Students: Loans

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the net present value of the student loan book.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We estimate the present value of the future repayments we expect to receive in the Department for Education’s 2016-17 Annual Report and Accounts (p155): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017. All values have been audited by the National Audit Office.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of childcare and early education funding on the number of (a) childminders and (b) nurseries between 31 August and 31 December 2017; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government is spending a record amount on childcare support, £6 billion by 2019-20. This includes £1 billion a year to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and fund the increase in rates that we introduced in April 2017. We have always been clear that getting the funding right is critical to the successful delivery of the government’s early years entitlements. Ofsted publishes regular statistics on the number of providers on its Early Years and General Childcare Registers. The most recent statistics, covering the 31 August to 31 December period on this are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-december-2017. The number of places offered by providers on the Early Years Register has remained broadly stable at 1.3 million since 2012, with a slight increase of almost 1,600 places in the last reporting period.

Free School Meals

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, further to his oral contribution of 26 March 2018, Official Report, column 505, when his Department plans to publish the evidential basis on which 50,000 more children would be eligible for free school meals.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether non-UK EU students starting university courses in the UK in academic year 2019-20 will be charged home student fees for the full duration of their course.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Applications for courses starting in 2019/20 do not open until September 2018, and we will ensure EU students starting courses at English Institutions in that academic year have information well in advance of this date.

Students: Fraud

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of fraudulent dissertation-writing services for university students; and what plans he has to address that practice.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Higher education providers, as autonomous organisations, are responsible for handling matters of this nature, including developing and implementing policies to detect and discourage plagiarism. To help providers tackle the issue, we asked the Quality Assurance Agency, Universities UK and the National Union of Students to produce new guidance, which was published in October 2017: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/publications/information-and-guidance/publication?PubID=3200#.WmB-u2xLHoA. This guidance is the first set of comprehensive advice for providers and students on the subject. It makes clear that where providers are working with others to deliver programmes, such as through validation, care should be taken to ensure that partner organisations are taking the risks of academic misconduct seriously. Providers are also encouraged to consider steps to scrutinise potential partners' processes and regulations when developing validation arrangements. This is in line with the wider expectations set out in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education (http://www.qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/the-quality-code), which all providers must meet. The code establishes the fundamental principle that degree awarding bodies have ultimate responsibility for academic standards and the quality of learning opportunities, regardless of where these opportunities are delivered and who provides them. Going forward, I expect the Office for Students to encourage and support the sector to implement strong policies and sanctions to address this important issue in the most robust way possible.

Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which SACREs and Agreed Syllabus Conferences are fulfilling their statutory responsibilities.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department takes when it learns that an individual SACRE or Agreed Syllabus Conference is experiencing difficulties in fulfilling its statutory duties; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many SACREs there are; and how many of those SACREs have no representation from humanism or other non-religious beliefs.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for how many local authorities the agreed religious education standard is provided (a) by the local authority's own Agreed Religious Education Syllabus Conference, (b) by another local authority's Agreed Religious Education Syllabus Conference and (c) on a standard basis by RE Today.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities have a duty to establish a Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE), locally representative inter-faith bodies whose role is to support religious education and collective worship in schools. SACREs should advise the local authority on religious education provision, including methods of teaching, resources, and the provision of teachers. They should also produce and publish an annual report on their activity. Local authorities are responsible for convening an Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC) every five years, and providing an agreed syllabus which must reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain. The Department has not made an assessment of whether local authorities are working collaboratively to establish their agreed religious education standard or using RE Today's syllabus template. Local authorities are free to make arrangements that are right for them and their schools when preparing a locally agreed syllabus. Local authorities are responsible for appointing representatives to each of four committees on a SACRE. For group A, these should represent Christian denominations and such other religions and religious denominations as, in the local authority’s opinion, will appropriately reflect the principal religious traditions in the area. For group B, the Church of England; group C, teacher associations; and group D, the local authority. The Department has not made an assessment of the representation of any religious or non-religious belief on SACREs.If the Department is informed that an individual SACRE or ASC is experiencing difficulties in fulfilling its statutory duties, the Department will contact the local authority to remind them of their duty to support their activities satisfactorily.

Children: North of England

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his Department’s policies of the Children’s Commissioner's report, Growing Up North, Look North: A generation of children await the powerhouse promise, published on 26 March 2018.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Children’s Commissioner’s Growing Up North covers a wide range of areas which relate to the education and life experiences of a wide range on children and regions. This is an area which we are already focussing on and we are determined to create an education system that offers opportunity to everyone, at every stage of their lives. We are taking forward key actions from the ‘Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy’, including the independent review of schools in the north undertaken by Sir Nick Weller, Chief Executive of Dixon’s Academy Trust in Bradford. The strategy commits government to working with the regions and the sector on plans to design, fund, and test a range of approaches to attracting and retaining high-quality teachers in the north, including in Opportunity Areas. The Opportunity Areas programme will not only create opportunities for young people in social mobility ‘coldspots’ across the country, but will ensure that best practice will be spread wider to more schools to ensure all young people get the opportunities they deserve. Seven of the twelve Opportunity Areas are in the north and the midlands (Blackpool, Bradford, Doncaster, North Yorkshire Coast, Oldham). We are targeting local and national resource in these areas to drive improved outcomes and social mobility for the children and young people who live there. The government committed £70 million to raise education standards in the north and we have taken forward this strategy through programmes such as £5 million to build multi academy trust and sponsor capacity and £11.5 million of funding on designing, funding, and testing approaches to attract and retain teachers in the north. Through this funding we are supporting our best teacher trainer providers, including top multi academy trusts, to expand their reach in to challenging areas in the north and are providing £12 million to establish a network of English hubs with a specific focus on improving early language and literacy. Our expansion of Maths Hubs will spread excellence in maths teaching and a £5 million investment to trial evidence-based home learning environment support programmes in the north will provide a focus on early language and literacy.

Pupils: Mental Health

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the recommendation of the Centre for Mental Health's report of July 2017 entitled Against the Odds, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a Concordat for Black and Minority Ethnic Mental Health to ensure that schools prioritise young people’s mental health and well-being.

Nick Gibb: The survey ‘Supporting mental health in schools and colleges’[1] shows the extensive help that schools provide for their pupils at present.In December 2017 the Government published the green paper ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision’,[2] which sets out further support, including designated senior leads for mental health in schools and colleges, and a significant increase in the number of early intervention practitionersThe Department is considering how mental health and wellbeing should be covered in the curriculum, as part of a process to determine the content of Relationships education and Relationships and Sex Education, and the future status of Personal, Social, Health and Economic education. In providing education and support, schools and colleges must have regard to their equalities duties, including ensuring that they meet the needs of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) pupils.As the Against the Odds report suggests, behaviour management and exclusions practice in schools is an important factor. The Department has announced a review of exclusions which will focus on those pupils more likely to be excluded from school, including pupils from BAME groups.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-mental-health-in-schools-and-colleges[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper

Pupil Exclusions: Ethnic Groups

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools have support mechanisms available for young people from Black and Minority Ethnic groups that are being considered for exclusion.

Nick Gibb: Schools must have a behaviour policy which outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying among pupils, but they are free to develop these according to their own particular circumstances. To help schools develop effective strategies the Department has produced advice for schools which covers what should be included in the behaviour policy, which is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/674416/Searching_screening_and_confiscation.pdf. The Department has announced a review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review will consider practice in schools in relation to behaviour management and exclusions, particularly for those groups disproportionately likely to be excluded. This includes some groups of pupils from Black and Minority Ethnic groups.

Department for Education: EU Grants and Loans

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with (a) universities, (b) further education colleges and (c) Local Enterprise Partnerships on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and accessing such funding after the UK leaves the EU.

Anne Milton: The government's manifesto committed to create a new UK Shared Prosperity Fund to reduce inequalities between communities across the UK. The Department for Education is committed to working with other government departments including the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to achieve this. The design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be widely consulted on in due course, as announced in the Industrial Strategy white paper. This will include engaging with key stakeholders such as universities, the further education sector and Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Office for Students: Further Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions the Universities Minister has had with the Chair of the Office for Students on future representation for further education colleges and students on the Board of the Office for Students and the general governance of that Board.

Mr Sam Gyimah: During the processes to appoint members to the Office for Students (OfS) board, previous ministers and the OfS Chair discussed and considered options to ensure that the board fulfilled the requirements set out in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. The board as a whole meets these criteria and there is considerable relevant knowledge within the current membership, including knowledge of further education colleges and a designated student experience member. I will be in dialogue with the OfS Chair during future appointments processes to ensure that both student interests and the further education sector continue to be represented on the OfS board. Governance of the OfS board is set out in the code of conduct, which is published on the OfS website and will be overseen by the department in its sponsorship role.

Student Loans Company: Public Appointments

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to appoint a new permanent chief executive of the Student Loans Company.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Student Loan Company’s (SLC’s) Shareholding Administrations (the Department for Education, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the Northern Irish Executive) are working closely with the SLC Board on the appointment of a new permanent CEO. This appointment will take place as soon as possible.

Pre-school Education: Apprentices

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to announce the funding rate for the early years level 3 apprenticeship.

Anne Milton: This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships. I have asked its Chief Executive, Sir Gerry Berragan, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses when it is available.

English Language: Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of the adult education budget was spent on ESOL in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18.

Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 March 2018 to Question 131906 which includes spend in 2016-17 on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) -https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2clords&uin=131906. ESOL funding represented £99 million of the £1.5 billion Adult Education Budget in 2016-17. This is not a ring-fenced amount as education providers have the freedom and flexibility to use their Adult Education Budget allocation to meet the needs of their local communities. Spend for 2017-18 is not yet available.

Social Mobility Commission: Public Appointments

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for him to appoint the chair of the Social Mobility Commission.

Nadhim Zahawi: The recruitment of a new Chair of the Social Mobility Commission is underway and applications closed on 30 March. This is a public appointment, and the process will be completed following the procedures set out in the Public Appointments guidance, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-ministerial-appointments-to-public-bodies.

Students: Disability Aids

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the equipment contribution payable by students in receipt of disabled student allowances on the number of disabled students claiming that equipment.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The most recent data show that, for full-time undergraduate students domiciled in England, 4,600 fewer students were in receipt of equipment Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) in 2015/16 than in 2014/15. The full data are available at http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspx. The main reason for this fall is that the £200 student contribution to the costs of computer hardware took effect from September 2015. We are keen to better understand the impact of DSAs on eligible students, including that of recent DSAs reforms. We have commissioned a research project to explore this and we will respond to the research findings when they are available in spring 2018.

Social Mobility Commission: Public Appointments

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications his Department has received for the position of (a) chair of the Social Mobility Commission and (b) board member of the Social Mobility Commission.

Nadhim Zahawi: We have received twenty-one applications for the role of Chair of the Social Mobility Commission. We plan to begin the recruitment process for new Commissioners as soon as possible after the new Chair has been appointed, to allow him or her to be involved in the process.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March to Question 130831, on Pre-school Education: Finance, how many local authorities allocated a quality supplement through the early years funding formula in each year since 2010.

Nadhim Zahawi: The attached table shows the number of local authorities that allocated a quality supplement through their local formula from 2013-14 to 2017-18. Prior to 2013-14, we did not collect detailed early years budget data from local authorities.Local authorities funding quality supplements from 2013-14 to 2017-18 for three and four year olds, and two year olds are shown in the attached table.Local authority planned budget information for 2018-19 will be available in September 2018.Full details on local authority planned budget information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/section-251-materials.



Local_authorities_funding_supplements_2013-18
(Word Document, 33.37 KB)

Breakfast Clubs: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133229, how much of the £26 million for school breakfast clubs will be allocated for the 2018-19 financial year.

Nadhim Zahawi: We are investing up to £26 million in a breakfast club programme, using funds from Soft Drinks Industry Levy revenues. We anticipate allocating around £9.6 million during the 2018-19 financial year.

Social Mobility Commission: Public Appointments

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to interview applicants to the board of the Social Mobility Commission.

Nadhim Zahawi: The recruitment of a new Chair of the Social Mobility Commission is underway and applications closed on 30 March. Interviews are intended to take place in early May. This is a public appointment, and the process, including the interviews, will be completed following the procedures set out in the Public Appointments guidance. We plan to begin the recruitment process for new Commissioners as soon as possible after the new Chair has been appointed, to allow him or her to be involved in the process.

Universal Credit: Free School Meals

Graham P Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of children in Year 3 and above who will be affected by the new means-tested entitlement for free school meals in households on universal credit with work-related earnings of more than £7,400 a year.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Religion: Education

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with Ofsted since 2015 on compliance by schools with their statutory obligation to provide religious education in the curriculum.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he and his Department have had with Ofsted since 2015 on whether Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education and Agreed Syllabus Conferences are complying with their statutory obligations; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Legislation and funding agreements require all state funded schools to deliver Religious Education (RE). Ofsted does not routinely compliance check whether schools, Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs) or Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASC) are meeting all of their statutory requirements. Where during the course of a school inspection it becomes clear that statutory requirements are not being met, and this is a contributory factor in explaining why pupils are not achieving as well as they should at the school, it will be considered for inclusion in the inspection report as a key point for improvement. Although Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects, it is required to report on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Maintained faith schools are required to arrange a separate inspection of denominational RE and collective worship, leading to published reports.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his oral response to the urgent question from the hon. Member for Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk of 20 March 2018, on Leaving the EU: Fisheries Management, what constraints there are on his ability to secure the outcome that he seeks.

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his oral response to the hon. member for Christchurch of 20 March, on Leaving the EU: Fisheries Management, for what reason he is unable to guarantee to achieve the outcome which he seeks.

George Eustice: The government agreed to the final terms of the Implementation Period in order to give businesses that trade with the EU additional time to prepare for future change. We will decide who can access our waters after 2020 and on what terms for the first time in over 40 years. As the Prime Minister confirmed on 26 March 2018, as we leave the EU, we can not only uphold the interests of the fishing industry but give it an opportunity to rebuild and be enhanced.

Hunting Act 2004

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of an offence under the Hunting Act 2004 in each police force area in 2017.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Court proceedings data for 2017, including for offences under the Hunting Act 2004, is planned for publication in May 2018 by the Ministry of Justice.

Protection of Badgers Act 1992

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of an offence under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in each police force area in 2017.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people were (a) proceeded against and (b) convicted of an offence under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 in each police force area in 2017.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The following information was provided by the Ministry of Justice. Court proceedings data for 2017, including for offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, is planned for publication in May 2018.

Cattle: Transport

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cattle movements in England were recorded by the British Cattle Movement Service in each year from 2008 to 2017.

George Eustice: YearEngland, Scotland & Wales Movements200813,445,614200913,194,912201013,654,294201114,570,411201213,810,509201313,736,427201413,742,163201513,783,821201614,084,952201714,444,020

Cattle: Transport

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cattle movements in England direct to slaughter were recorded by the British Cattle Movement Service in each year from 2008 to 2017.

George Eustice: YearNumber of Animals killed at a Slaughterhouse in England20101,600,55020111,720,03820121,603,90620131,582,71320141,653,01320151,619,76520161,699,80720171,706,131

Flood Control: Preston

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of flood risk in areas along the River Ribble and River Darwen as part of the Preston and South Ribble Flood Management Scheme; what funding has been made available to improve flood defences in affected locations in those areas; what (a) meetings have taken place and (b) correspondence has been exchanged between the Environment Agency and Lancashire County Council to facilitate that work; and when that work will be completed in each of those locations identified as at risk of flooding.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency (EA) assessed and modelled flood risk from the rivers Ribble and Darwen in 2012, 2016 and 2018 to inform the current flood risk management scheme for Preston and South Ribble. £3.2m of Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) funding has been made available and brought forward into the current EA 6 year programme. This will enable a scheme to be built more quickly than previously planned as long as suitable contributions in line with the funding formula can be found. Meetings between the EA and Lancashire County Council have taken place since October 2015 with regard to the current Preston and South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme. These meetings have focused on securing additional funding from the European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) and on preparing and submitting an application to this fund in line with the European Regional Development Fund timescales. Correspondence with regard to this submission has been exchanged. Based on the current modelled assumptions and all funding being secured, a flood risk management scheme to provide improved flood protection to communities within Preston and South Ribble could be designed and constructed between 2019/2023.

Fisheries: Quotas

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase UK fishing quotas after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The current historic EU quota shares, fixed through the principle of “Relative Stability”, are unfair to the UK fleet for many stocks. EU vessels currently catch around 700,000 tonnes of fish from UK waters each year. The UK fleet only catches about 100,000 tonnes of fish in EU waters each year. After the end of the Implementation Period, the UK will diverge from the existing allocation methodology for Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and seek a more equitable arrangement as a condition of future access to UK waters. We are currently giving detailed consideration to fairer allocation methodologies for Total Allowable Catches in future international negotiations. After March 2019, the UK will also join Regional Fisheries Management Organisations such as the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission in preparation for the UK regaining its seat in international fisheries negotiations from the autumn of 2020.

Packaging: Recycling

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to consult on reforming the Packaging Recovery Note system.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We have committed to exploring changes to the packaging producer responsibility scheme, as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan that we issued in January. More detail will be announced in the Resources and Waste Strategy, which will be published later this year.

Waste Management: EU Law

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to undertake a review of its waste prevention programmes in compliance with the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC).

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government will review its waste prevention programmes before December 2019.

Environment Protection

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with the representatives of the devolved administrations on shared principles for environmental protection after the UK leaves the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Ministers and officials have met regularly with counterparts from the devolved administrations to discuss the issues surrounding the UK leaving the EU. This has included discussing the question of shared principles for environmental protection after the UK leaves the EU.

South Africa: Import Duties

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in South Africa on that country's proposal to impose higher tariffs on British poultry products.

George Eustice: Previously in 2013 South Africa threatened to introduce custom duties of 82% on poultry imports, however, they were unable to do so under the terms of the EU-South Africa trade agreement. South Africa then proposed anti-dumping duties, which were reduced for some producers in 2015 following questions from the EU on dumping margins and the participation of UK producers in South Africa’s anti-dumping investigation. We have been informed that the Southern African Customs Union intends to impose additional higher tariffs on EU including British poultry products, however, we have not been able to confirm their proposal. This issue is further complicated by South Africa’s ongoing avian influenza ban on UK poultry meat, despite the UK being disease free since September 2017 under World Animal Health Organisation rules. Defra has been working closely with the FCO and the EU to determine whether further duties are to be implemented and to coordinate further action. We will continue to focus on alleviating the restrictions on poultry products entering South Africa.

Sugar Beet

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of potential changes in trading opportunities for British beet sugar after the UK leaves the EU.

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of potential changes in the level of sugar beet exports after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: I would refer the honourable member to the Department’s recent submission to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s inquiry into trade in sugar once the UK has left the EU.British sugar beet producers are among the most competitive in the world and already compete effectively at world prices.The Government also recognises the importance of the sugar cane refining industry in providing competition in the UK market and the importance of sugar cane production for some developing countries, especially those within the Commonwealth.Once we leave the EU, the UK Government will be free to decide its own trade policies.

Agriculture: Competition

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure British farmers remain internationally competitive.

George Eustice: Leaving the EU and the Common Agricultural Policy gives us the opportunity to develop policies to support a competitive, productive and profitable farming industry. The UK has some of the most efficient farmers in the world but there are also wide variances between the most productive and least productive enterprises within some sectors. Our recently published consultation on the future of agriculture policy outlined a number of possible interventions that could improve farm profitability, including support for research and innovation, investment in new technology and support for new entrants to the industry.

Domestic Waste

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 20 of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government's Litter Strategy for England, published in April 2017, what definition his Department uses for household waste; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The definition of household waste is set out in section 75(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In that Act, household waste means waste from domestic properties, caravans, residential homes and premises forming part of a university, school, other educational establishment, hospital or nursing home. Schedule 1 to the Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 further prescribes what types of waste should be treated as household waste, subject to the place where it is produced or the nature of the activity producing the waste.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans reduce the size of the guide for the mid-tier manual and supplements.

George Eustice: Officials are currently reviewing the Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier manual and information on GOV.UK to look at ways to simplify and improve information provision for applicants. In addition, the Rural Payments Agency and Natural England have been tasked with simplifying Countryside Stewardship, to save farmers time and cut down on paperwork. We have introduced four new Countryside Stewardship Offers for Wildlife with a simplified manual this year and farmers who meet the eligibility requirements will be guaranteed funding. The new Offers are simpler and quicker to apply for, complement existing Higher Tier and Mid-Tier agreements and make the scheme available to even more farmers and land managers. The burden of EU law constricts our ability to fully reorganise the way such schemes are administered and the threat of EU penalties means that some farming stakeholders prefer more comprehensive guidance for their members. However, when we leave the EU, we will be free to pursue better policy models needing less administration.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the evidential basis  is for the effectiveness of badger culling in reducing TB in cattle in low risk areas.

George Eustice: The evidential basis for the effectiveness of badger culling in the Low Risk Area, where infection in cattle is linked to infection in badgers, is the same as in the High Risk Area - that is, the randomised badger control trial.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the decision to (a) extend the badger cull in low risk areas and (b) remove the ten area cap limit on badger culling will be made after the conclusion of Sir Charles Godfray's review into the TB strategy.

George Eustice: Any decision to extend the badger cull to the Low Risk Area of England and remove the annual ten area limit on badger culling will be made separately to the TB strategy review. The decision will be made following the conclusion and analysis of responses from the current consultations, alongside relevant scientific evidence and veterinary advice. The review, led by Sir Charles Godfray, will reflect on progress to date with the broad range of interventions to fight the disease outlined in the 25 year TB strategy. It will consider what additional actions might be necessary now to ensure other tools and interventions are ready to be deployed in later phases of the strategy, in order to ensure the Government maintains progress towards its target of becoming officially TB free by 2038. The review is expected to conclude by September 2018.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of extending badger culling on local ecosystems; and whether an extension is in compliance with the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

George Eustice: The effect of badger culling on local ecosystems is considered by Natural England as part of its licensing of the companies responsible for carrying out culling operations. Where appropriate, Natural England imposes conditions on licences so as to protect wildlife or habitats within and around the culling areas. When determining the appropriate operation in any particular area, responsibilities under the Bern Convention are taken into account.

Dogs: Animal Breeding

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle the breeding of dogs with severe genetic health problems.

George Eustice: In February 2018, the Government laid before Parliament The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The new regulations will require all licensed dog breeders not to breed from a dog if, by doing so, it could be reasonably expected on the basis of its genotype, phenotype or state of health to have a detrimental effect on its health or welfare or welfare of its offspring. The regulations, which were debated in both Houses, will come into force on 1 October 2018 and will be enforced by local authorities.

Livestock: Transport

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the effective enforcement of animal welfare measures on the transportation of farm animals for slaughter.

George Eustice: In England, Local Authorities are responsible for enforcing the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 and it would be for individual Local Authorities to take action against transporters when welfare issues are identified at slaughterhouses. Local Authorities will take prosecution action when serious welfare issues relating to the transport of live animals have been identified. Officials in Defra have been working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Animal and Plant Health Agency and representatives from the Local Authorities’ National Animal Health and Welfare Panel, to improve the process for referring welfare cases relating to transport, identified by FSA’s Official Veterinarians at slaughterhouses. This is so prompt action can be taken by the relevant Local Authority when breaches of animal welfare legislation are identified. APHA carry out supervised loadings on high risk commercial consignments of livestock for slaughter exported from England to ensure compliance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on protection of animals in transport. These checks include, but are not limited to vehicle specifications to ensure the transport is designed, constructed in a way to avoid injury and suffering and to ensure that transporters and vehicles have the appropriate authorisations and certificates in place. APHA also carry out proportional portal checks on sheep and other livestock being imported or exported. When supervised loadings and portal checks are completed APHA will take regulatory action if non compliances are identified.

Slaughterhouses

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) address the imbalance in the geographical distribution of abattoirs and (b) support small local abattoirs.

George Eustice: The number of small abattoirs in England and Wales has been falling as a result of consolidation in the retail sector and drive for greater efficiency and more costly requirements introduced to safeguard standards in abattoirs. An adequate network of slaughterhouses nationwide is important in supporting livestock production in Britain and the government values the important role of smaller, more local abattoirs. There are currently a total of 257 abattoirs in England and they are distributed across all but two counties in England. The precise location of abattoirs is predominantly a commercial decision for Food Business Operators but the government monitors developments.

Agriculture: Scotland

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the effect of that Government's policies for land reform on UK agriculture policy after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State last met with the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations on 26 February to discuss the Government’s consultation document ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit’. The Government is committed to working closely with the devolved administrations to deliver an approach that works for the whole of the UK and reflects the needs and individual circumstances of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. Future agriculture policy including policies for land reform is a matter for individual devolved administrations.

Water Charges

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of water companies that require consumers to pay bills up to a year in advance; and how that practice compares to other utility markets.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We have not made an estimate of the number of water companies that require consumers to pay bills up to a year in advance. We have also not compared such a practice to other utility markets. Water companies use a variety of billing, payment and collection methods and can be flexible in their billing arrangements. However, they must be set within Ofwat’s (the independent water regulator) charging rules and guidelines. These rules include a requirement that companies give customers a reasonable choice as to the times and methods of payment of their charges. Customers should contact their water company to discuss their payment plan and the billing options they have. All companies offer a range of support to those household customers who may be struggling to pay their bill, including social tariffs, customer assistance funds, payment plans and information about water efficiency advice and products. Information is available on their websites or from the Consumer Council for Water. For business and other non-household customers who receive their water and wastewater services from a retailer, it is for individual retailers to decide which billing and collection methods they use. Retailers must comply with codes set by Ofwat and must inform customers of the type, frequency of bills and payment methods available. Business customers can discuss payment plans with their retail provider and can explore switching to another provider who may be more flexible with their billing arrangements. Not all retail providers will require payment in advance. Information about the business retail market can be found at https://www.open-water.org.uk/

Food: Waste

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) making food available to those in food poverty and (b) other options as an alternative to landfill and incineration for the disposal of food waste.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: All waste operators are required to follow the waste hierarchy in managing waste (including food waste). This means that they should take all such measures as are reasonable in the circumstances to prevent, reuse or recycle food waste before considering recovery through incineration or sending to landfill. Where food waste cannot be prevented it should be recycled first through anaerobic digestion, or second, composting where reasonable before incineration. Sending food waste to landfill can lead to significant greenhouse gas emissions and is therefore a last resort. Many local authorities have introduced separate collection of food waste, and we will work to support an increase in numbers so that the amount of food waste sent to landfill continues to decline. The Government has announced an ambition to work towards sending zero food waste to landfill by 2030. The Government is taking action to support the redistribution of unsold edible and nutritious surplus stock food from businesses to individuals in need. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), supported by Defra, launched the Courtauld Commitment 2025 in March 2016 and business signatories including leading retailers, manufacturers and food redistribution organisations have agreed an ambition to work collaboratively with WRAP to double the amount of surplus food they redistribute by 2020 against a 2015 baseline of 15,000 tonnes. At the end of last year, the Government and WRAP announced a new £500,000 fund for charities who redistribute surplus food from food businesses to those in need.

FareShare

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to Fareshare to ensure that (a) food reaches poor families and (b) food waste is reduced.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has instigated a variety of actions to increase surplus food redistribution to ensure that it goes to people in need. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), supported by the government, launched the Courtauld Commitment 2025 in March 2016. The Courtauld Commitment 2025 is an ambitious ten year voluntary agreement that brings together organisations across the food system to identify priorities, develop solutions and implement changes at scale, both within signatory organisations and by spreading new best practice across the UK. Business signatories including Fareshare have agreed an ambition to work collaboratively with WRAP to double the amount of surplus food they redistribute by 2020 against a 2015 baseline of 15,000 tonnes. At the end of 2017, the Government announced a new £500,000 fund to be administered by WRAP to support charities, like Fareshare, to redistribute surplus food to those in need.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to ensure that payments to farmers currently made under the Basic Payment Scheme will continue to be made once the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: This Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the Parliament, providing much needed certainty to farmers and landowners. We will pay the 2019 Basic Payment Scheme in England on the same basis as we do now. We then plan to continue Basic Payment Scheme payments during an ‘agricultural transition’ period in England, which will last a number of years. During this ‘agricultural transition’, we propose to reduce these payments in England, starting with those receiving the highest payments and use the funds released to fund the gradual roll out of a new domestic agriculture policy during the agricultural transition period. We have not yet taken any decisions on the method for reducing payments or how long the transition should be. We welcome views via our consultation document, ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit’, which was launched on 27 February.

Whales: Conservation

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the moratorium on commercial whaling is maintained after the forthcoming International Whaling Committee meeting.

George Eustice: The UK will continue to work closely with other countries and stakeholders to champion the conservation and welfare of cetaceans. It is hoped this will ensure strong support for the maintenance of the global moratorium on commercial whaling, both in the build up to and after the forthcoming International Whaling Commission meeting in September.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Domestic Visits: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many times he has visited (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands since his appointment.

Suella Braverman: Ministers from the Department of Exiting the European Union have visited the West Midlands on a number of occasions since the referendum. The Government is committed to positive and productive engagement with businesses and local government in the West Midlands, as well as all parts of the UK, and will continue to work closely with them to understand the potential impact and opportunities presented by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. On the 27 March 2018 the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union met with the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority, Andy Street.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Equal Pay

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment the Department has made of the link between its recruitment and performance reward practices and its gender pay gap.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department published its first gender pay gap report in December based on those staff on our payroll as at 31 March 2017. The report identified a mean pay gap in favour of men of 15.26%, and a median pay gap of 8.91% in favour of men. At the time of DExEU’s gender pay gap report, women being overrepresented in more junior grades and underrepresented in more senior grades was a significant contributory factor in reporting DExEU’s gender pay gap. This is an issue that we are committed to addressing both through our recruitment practices and the use of cross government talent management schemes. As a relatively new department, we had not paid any bonuses as at 31 March 2017. The department has now developed and implemented a reward and recognition policy so we will be able to report on this in future years. The policy puts equal opportunities at the forefront of all reward decisions alongside a mechanism to ensure consistency and fairness.

EU Institutions

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether UK representatives will be able to (a) attend and (b) participate in meetings of the (i) European Aviation Safety Authority, (ii) European Medicines Agency and (iii) the European Chemicals Agency after 1 April 2019.

Mr Steve Baker: The agreement we have reached with the EU on the terms of the implementation period will enable UK participation in EU bodies and agencies during this period where it is in the mutual interest of the UK and the EU. The exact nature of that participation will be a matter for further discussion. As a non-member state, we have been clear that the UK will no longer have the same role in the decision-making of the EU. However, it is clearly in the interests of both sides that the UK continues to participate in some EU agencies, bodies and meetings. The Prime Minister set out in her Mansion House Speech on 2 March 2018 that we will want to explore with the EU, the terms on which the UK could remain part of EU agencies such as those that are important for the chemicals, medicines and aerospace industries: the EMA, the ECHA and EASA.

Trade Agreements: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with (a) pharmaceutical and (b) aerospace industry representatives in Northern Ireland on licencing in trade talks with the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: Ministers from across Government have carried out extensive engagement on EU exit - with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy and in all parts of the UK, including organisations from the pharmaceutical and aerospace industries.Details of Ministerial meetings are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are publicly available on GOV.UK.

Brexit

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to make an economic analysis of its final deal on leaving the EU available to hon. Members before a decision on the deal is taken in Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Suella Braverman: The Government has confirmed that when we bring forward the vote on the final deal, we will ensure that Parliament is presented with the appropriate analysis to make an informed decision. We are meeting our commitment to keeping Parliament informed and allowing for proper scrutiny, and will continue to do so going forward.

Martin Selmayr

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will make an assessment of the extent to which the appointment of Professor Dr Martin Selmayr as Secretary General of the European Commission followed professionally approved procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Suella Braverman: Appointments to the European Commission civil service are an internal matter for the Commission.

EU Law

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the Government's policy is on adapting domestic law in the case of changes to existing EU regulations that will come into force after the UK has left the EU.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what his policy is on implementing EU regulations which have implementation acts set to be drafted after the UK has left the EU.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what his policy is on adopting future EU regulations after the UK has left the EU.

Mr Steve Baker: After March 29, 2019, the UK will no longer be a Member State of the European Union. The UK and the EU have now agreed the terms of an implementation period, during which EU rules and regulations will continue to apply as now. This will give businesses and citizens certainty, and allow them to continue to trade on the same terms as now up until the end of 2020. The agreement will be underpinned by a duty of good faith and governed by a Joint Committee to ensure it is faithfully and fully implemented by both sides. As we move towards our future partnership with the EU, we will need to discuss how we manage the relationship once we are two separate legal systems.

Rules of Origin

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the cost to UK businesses of meeting rules of origin requirements after the UK has left the EU.

Suella Braverman: The Government is undertaking a wide range of continuing analysis in support of our EU exit negotiations and preparations. Our overall programme of work is comprehensive, thorough and is continuously updated. Estimating the cost of complying with rules of origin is challenging due to the variance of outcomes. It is our objective to reduce as far as possible any additional compliance costs, or unnecessary administrative burdens, for such trade, in line with the Prime Minister’s objective of securing the most frictionless trade possible. We will continue to work with industry, as we seek to deliver this outcome. We have been clear the Government will not provide an ongoing commentary on internal analytical work that is being carried out within government. Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to release information that could reveal our negotiating position. The Government has confirmed that when we bring forward the vote on the final deal, we will ensure that Parliament is presented with the appropriate analysis to make an informed decision.

Galileo System

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether it is within the terms of the draft withdrawal agreement and implementation period for the EU to exclude UK firms from bidding for contracts for the Galileo programme.

Suella Braverman: The draft Withdrawal Agreement states that ‘where such participation [in an information exchange, procedure or programme] would grant access to security related security information that only Member States are to have knowledge of, in such exceptional circumstances [….] shall be understood as not including the UK’. We do not agree that this provision should apply to Galileo. The UK is an integral partner in the programme through our provision of expertise and value. Both sides are seeking an arrangement that provides strong EU-UK cooperation in the fields of foreign, security and defence policy. We have made clear our desire for the UK’s involvement in EU space programmes to continue as part of our new security partnership, in a way that is fair and open to the UK and UK industry. The UK is a world leader in satellite and secure software technology and expects to discuss all options for future collaboration in EU space programmes as part of the exit negotiations - including full participation in Galileo. This is a view shared by stakeholders in the industry, for example the Chief Executive of Airbus who recently wrote that ‘Britain and the EU nations must adopt a more pragmatic stance on flagship space and defence programmes that seek to enable closer working between militaries. At present the UK faces being left out, which benefits only those who pose security risks to all of us.’

Wales Office

Brexit: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, If he will list the (a) attendees and (b) inviteesfor the meeting of his Department’s expertstakeholder panel on the implications of EU exit for Wales on 6 November 2017.

Alun Cairns: Representatives from the following organisations attended the meeting of my Expert Panel on EU exit on 6 November:Farmers Union WalesWest Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of CommerceInstitute of Directors WalesSnowdonia Enterprise ZoneNational Farmers Union CymruWelsh Council for Voluntary ActionCountry Landowners AssociationDow ChemicalUniversities WalesConfederation of British Industry (Wales)Federation of Small Businesses (Wales) The following organisations were also invited to the meeting but were unable to attend:Airbus Group UKToyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) LtdSouth and Mid Wales Chamber of CommerceAdmiral Group Plc

Brexit: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 13 December 2017 to Question 118400, what specific opportunities for Wales have been identified by his Department’s expert stakeholder panel on the implications of EU exit for Wales.

Alun Cairns: My Expert Panel has focused its work on discussing where common frameworks may and may not be required in respect of powers returning from the EU which intersect with the Welsh devolution settlement. The UK Government expects that the return of powers from the EU will lead to a significant increase in the decision-making powers of the Welsh Government. UK or GB wide frameworks will enable us to safeguard the internal market, enable the UK to agree international trade deals and allow the UK to fulfil our international obligations.

Ports: Wales

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government and the Port Authorities on the provision of funding to support the ports of Holyhead and Pembroke after the UK leaves the European Union.

Alun Cairns: UK Government Officials (including officials from my department) continue to meet with officials from the Welsh Government to discuss the implications of EU Exit on Welsh Ports.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Interserve

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times letters of concern relating to the performance of Interserve's contracts with his Department have been received by his Department since September 2017.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice does not directly receive letters of concern relating to the performance. Issues with performance would be reported to the helpdesk and then reported to the MoJ as part of the monthly reporting pack provided to Commercial staff. The MoJ has strict performance measures in place and we robustly monitor our providers’ performance. We will not hesitate to take the necessary action when suppliers fail to fulfil their contractual obligations.

Speed Limits: Fines

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people in Coventry have received speeding fines in each year since 2010.

Rory Stewart: The number of fines imposed by courts for speeding offences in Local Justice Areas involving Coventry, from 2010 to 2016 (latest available data), can be viewed in the table. This information covers the location of the court where the offenders were found guilty and sentenced. MoJ does not hold centrally data on the location of offences or of offenders. Court proceedings data for 2017 are planned for publication in May 2018. 



Table for PQ 129651
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Sentencing

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of Crown Courts in England which have a copy of the Magistrates Courts' Sentencing Guidelines available in paper format.

Lucy Frazer: The Magistrates’ Courts Sentencing Guidelines are no longer distributed to Crown Courts in paper format as they are available in digital format. Both Judges of the Crown Court and magistrates have eJudicary accounts which enable them to access the Sentencing Guidelines digitally.

Child Arrangement Orders

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many parents wait (a) less than one month, (b) more than one month and (c) more than three months to see their children at a child contact centre.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Government does not hold such information because we do not operate any central referral system for child contact sessions.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on hearing appeals in Social Security and Child Support Tribunals relating to (a) employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payment claims in each year since 2009-10.

Lucy Frazer: The information requested is not held centrally. The cost of hearings for employment support allowance and personal independence payment are included in the overall cost of the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support Appeal).

Courts

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which courts in the UK have been visited by Ministers of his Department since the beginning of the 2018.

Lucy Frazer: The list of Ministers and which courts they have visited is given in the table below. Lord Keen has not visited any courts. David Gauke1 February 2018Lavender Hill Magistrates’ CourtDavid Gauke13 February 2018Oxford Combined CourtDavid Gauke19 February 2018Arnhem House, LeicesterRory Stewart OBE1 February 2018Woolwich Crown CourtDr Phillip Lee26 January 2018Milton Keynes Magistrates’ CourtLucy Frazer QC1 February 2018Bromley Magistrates’ Court and Woolwich Crown CourtLucy Frazer QC8 March 2018Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court

Offences against Children

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that perpetrators of child sexual abuse have access to rehabilitative programmes.

Rory Stewart: We are absolutely committed to reducing reoffending and addressing the needs of those individuals convicted of a sexual offence. Individuals convicted of child sexual abuse who have offence related problems common to other sexual offenders, may be suitable for a sex offender programme, either in prison or community. HMPPS provide a range of accredited programmes for individuals convicted of a sexual offence which are offered according to the level of risk and need of the offender. These programmes draw on the latest international evidence on effective treatment for this cohort of offenders.In addition to these programmes, HMPPS, and its partners, provide a range of other programmes and services for this complex group of offenders, including strong public protection measures through Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. These are tailored to address individuals’ risks and needs, and may, for example, include work to address thinking and attitudes, substance misuse, mental health issues, personality disorder, unemployment, unstable housing, and poor relationships. Specialist services may also be included such as anti-libidinal drug treatment.

Prisoners: Death

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many deaths in prison custody occurred in each year since 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: The Government publishes statistics on deaths in custody quarterly, and updated detailed tables annually. The most recent tables were published on 26 January 2018 and cover the year to the end of December 2017. They can be viewed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-september-2017. The Government takes very seriously its responsibility to keep prisoners safe, and while these latest figures show a welcome fall in the number of deaths in total and self-inflicted deaths in particular, we can and must do more. We have established a prison safety programme through which we are taking forward a comprehensive set of actions to reduce deaths in custody, including: rolling out revised and improved training for staff in assessing and managing the risk of suicide and self-harm amongst prisoners (which has already reached nearly 15,000 staff); improving support for prisoners in their early days in custody; revising the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork case management process for those identified as being at risk; and renewing our partnership with the Samaritans by confirming a further three years' grant funding for their valuable Listeners Scheme.

Sentencing

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the unduly lenient sentence scheme to certain cases tried at Magistrates Courts.

Lucy Frazer: The Government is considering further expansion of the unduly lenient sentencing scheme, to ensure it covers offences that are of particular concern to the public. We recently added further terrorism offences to the scheme. Given that the scheme requires a reference by the Attorney General to the Court of Appeal, it is right that the scheme is focused on the more serious offences sentenced in the Crown Court. As a result, we have no immediate plans to expand the scope of the scheme to cases sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court.

Prisoners: Albania

Andrew Selous: To ask Secretary of State for Justice, how many Albanian nationals are in the prison population in England and Wales; and what proportion of the total prison population that number represents.

Rory Stewart: As at 31 December 2017, the latest published figures, there were 84,373 persons detained in prisons and the HM Prison and Probation Service run Immigration Removal Centre. Of these, 716 were recorded as Albanian nationals. Albanian nationals represent 0.85% of the total prison population.Any foreign national who comes to our country and abuses our hospitality by breaking the law should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them. More than 40,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since 2010, with a record number of over 6,300 removed in 2016/17.A Prisoner Transfer Agreement is in place between the UK and the Republic of Albania, and we are working closely with Albanian authorities to speed up and significantly increase transfer rates.

Legal Ombudsman

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions has the decision of the Legal Ombudsman been overturned as a result of a review in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Legal Ombudsman decisions can be challenged by way of judicial review.Of the 18,076 ombudsman decisions that the Legal Ombudsman made in the past five years, only 16 cases have been reconsidered as a result of judicial review. Of these, four were reconsidered as a result of a contested hearing and 12 were agreed by consent between parties before the matter went to trial.The breakdown is as follows: 2017 – 3,370 decisions, 1 reconsidered (by consent)2016 – 4,337 decisions, 2 reconsidered (both by consent)2015 – 3,475 decisions, 4 reconsidered (all by consent)2014 – 3,409 decisions, 6 reconsidered (two by court order, four by consent)2013 – 3,485 decisions, 3 reconsidered (two by court order, one by consent)

Sexual Offences: Newcastle upon Tyne

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2018 to Question 133789 on Sexual Offences: Newcastle upon Tyne, what long-term funding his Department has made available to support the adult victims of (a) sexual abuse and (b) exploitation identified by Operation Sanctuary.

Dr Phillip Lee: This information is held by the Ministry of Justice, which holds primary responsibility for funding of victim support services.The Government has made a commitment under the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy 2016-2020 to ensure funding for rape support services is maintained throughout the Spending Review period. We continue to meet that commitment.In 2016/17 and 2017/18 the MoJ protected funding of over £6.2million to 85 female Rape Support Centres across England and Wales to provide independent, specialist support to female victims of rape and sexual violence. In addition, the MoJ has provided an uplift of £1.71m to these centres as a consequence of the increased demand from adult victims of historic sexual abuse.In Northumbria, the MoJ is providing £265,870 (including £60,000 uplift to support victims of child sexual abuse) to four rape support centres. We have protected the same level of funding for 2018/19.In each of the last three years, Government has provided £7million funding for non-statutory organisations supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence, including child sexual abuse and exploitation. In 2016/17 and 2017/18:£1.71 million was allocated as an uplift to MoJ funded female rape support centres,£4.7 million was provided directly to PCCs to support organisations working with victims and survivors of CSA locally£0.6 million was distributed directly by the Home Office to organisations working with victims and survivors of sexual abuse over a large geographic area.

Reoffenders

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Farmer Review published in August 2017, what steps he is taking to help prisons to keep families together to reduce re-offending rates.

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress has been made on implementation the recommendations of the Farmer Review, published in August 2017.

Rory Stewart: We know that improving the quality of engagement between a prisoner and their friends or family can be a positive influence on reducing reoffending. The Government is committed to implementing the recommendations set out by Lord Farmer in his report ‘The Importance of Strengthening Prisoners Family Ties to Prevent Reoffending and Reduce Intergenerational Crime’. Since the publication of the Farmer Review, progress continues to be made in implementing its recommendations. Through our reforms we are placing the importance of family relationships at the centre of our revised approach.Governors are central to reforming our prisons because they are best placed to ensure the prison is safe and secure, and understand the rehabilitative needs of the offenders in their care. In October 2017, family budgets were devolved to Governors, which coincided with the commencement of new family services contracts. This has given Governors the ability to deliver tailored support for prisoners, helping them to build or maintain their ties with family or friends. An example of this is HMP Chelmsford, which recently adapted their prison library, making it child friendly, to enable prisoners to sit down and read with their children.To support this new approach, from April 2018 all prison Governors will now be required to produce local Strategies, which set out how they will support prisoners to improve the level of engagement with their friends and families. This will be underpinned by a guidance document, which was issued in December and a new Family Policy Framework, which will be published in Autumn of this year. These will help standardise the quality of services provided across all prisons, helping to strengthen relationships between prisoners, their family and friends.Her Majesty’s Inspector of Prisons (HMIP) has appointed a lead inspector to Children and Families work. HMIP has updated its website to demonstrate good practice recognised in inspections since the publication of the Farmer Review. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/our-expectations/prison-expectations/rehabilitation-and-release-planning/children-and-families-and-contact-with-the-outside-world/There are a handful of recommendations, which will require longer-term structural reform to be delivered, including in-cell telephony and the use of video calling technology, such as Skype. We are in the process of developing options for these proposals.In addition to the recommendations set out in the Farmer review relationships between prisoners and their families are maintained through a range of visiting opportunities. In addition to statutory entitlement to visits under the Prison Rules 1999, prisoners may also be granted additional visits through local privilege schemes. In a speech on the 6th of March at the Royal Society of Arts, the Secretary of State expressed his commitment to creating incentives that support and encourage offenders to turn their lives around. This includes offering access to technology like skype allowing prisoners contact with their families that they would otherwise be unable to have.Release on temporary licence (ROTL) is another way for suitable prisoners to maintain family ties, and we will be exploring in the coming months how best to ensure access to ROTL for those who would benefit, within a robust risk assessment framework.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect on prison transfer arrangements with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Rory Stewart: Any foreign national who comes to our country and abuses our hospitality by breaking the law should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them. More than 40,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since 2010, with a record number of over 6,300 removed in 2016/17.A range of removal mechanisms exist which enable foreign offenders to be returned to their home countries, and we are working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Home Office as we consider our future criminal justice arrangements with the EU, with the aim of carrying on our close working relationship.

Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many legal aid providers attained a pass at peer review in each year since 2010.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of legal aid providers attained a pass at peer review in each year since 2010.

Lucy Frazer: Within any given year, Peer Reviews are not undertaken on every provider, but are done on a prioritised and targeted basis to provide risk-based assurance, and from 2017/18 are done in sufficient numbers to ensure coverage of crime providers across the lifetime of the crime contracts. As such the reviews cover only a subset of all providers.  2010-20112011-20122012-20132013-20142014-20152015-20162016-20172017-2018CrimeNumber of peer reviews of providers, leading to a Threshold Competency peer review rating and above (1 to 3)989151434040102403Percentage of peer reviews of providers, leading to a Threshold Competency peer review rating and above (1 to 3)89%90%87%81%85%93%89%87.60% CivilNumber of peer reviews of providers, leading to a Threshold Competency peer review rating and above (1 to 3)14917697113858068179Percentage of peer reviews of providers, leading to a Threshold Competency peer review rating and above (1 to 3)84%85%78%78%82%86%80%85.60%

Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the level of unmet need for legal advice, broken down by region.

Lucy Frazer: The Legal Aid Agency frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision around the country and moves quickly to ensure provision where gaps may appear.The Lord Chancellor has confirmed we will conduct an evidence based review of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, assessing the changes against their objectives. We will publish our findings later this year.

Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people live in procurement areas in which (a) one or (b) no compliant bids have been submitted to the Legal Aid Agency.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the low level of compliant bids submitted to the Legal Aid Agency.

Lucy Frazer: Procurement areas are not uniform across categories of law but are based on factors relevant to each category of law, and hence do not directly align with local authority area or other boundary by which data on population can be provided.The LAA received compliant tenders from more than 1700 organisations wishing to deliver face to face civil legal aid work. These organisations submitted over 4,300 individual bids to deliver category-specific work from their office(s). Numerous factors may affect the number of compliant bids received in each tender exercise; the fact that this process has not yet concluded precludes further speculation at this time.

Cabinet Office

Carillion: Scotland

Ian Murray: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many companies based in Scotland that were affected by Carillion’s collapse took up the support services of (a) help and flexibility with tax and (b) special support from banks, how now entered (a) administration (b) liquidation.

Oliver Dowden: We have put processes in place to help companies who are impacted by Carillion’s insolvency including extra support from the banks and time to pay taxes.We have set up a taskforce to advise on the impact on small businesses and employees affected by Carillion insolvency. It will act as a means for government to communicate to those affected by Carillion’s liquidation, assess wider economic impacts and consider how to ensure that employees are provided with the right support to maximise rapid re-employment.Lenders have made a fund of £900m available to support small businesses exposed to Carillion’s liquidation - and a Government taskforce has been set up to monitor and advise on mitigating the impacts of Carillion’s liquidation on construction firms, particularly SMEs and those working in the sector.The British Business Bank through its Enterprise Support Scheme will guarantee loans of up to £100m through its partner banks, which can be used to support overdraft borrowing and refinancing of existing debt.

Government Departments: Operating Costs

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the (a) planned and (b) actual administration budget spending for each Department has been in each of the last five years.

Oliver Dowden: This information is already in the public domain. Please refer to published accounts with links as per below. 2016-17 - page 47https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/646841/CO_Annual_Report_2016-17.pdf 2015-16 - page 54https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/536577/Cabinet-Office-annual-report-2015-2016.pdf 2014-15 – page 111https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/465137/Cabinet_Office_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2014-15_-_Web_Accessible_Version.pdf 2013-14 – page 112https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/325328/41432_HC_Cabinet_Office_annual_report_2013-14_accessible.pdf 2012-13 - page 143https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225980/HC_15.pdf

Chequers: Expenditure

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what grant in aid was awarded to the trustees of Chequers in each year between 1997 and 2008.

Oliver Dowden: Cabinet Office is required to keep accounting records for 7 years. Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts for financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08 disclose in the Programme Expenditure Note to the accounts grant-in-aid paid to Chequers Trust; see pages 143 and 52 respectively. These can be located on the GOV.UK website.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a ranked list of Departments in order of the proportion of Named Day Questions which they answered on that Named Day excluding holding answers in each of the last three years.

Mr David Lidington: The Commons Procedure Committee monitors performance on departments’ response rates to Parliamentary Questions and publishes results on a sessional basis. The latest report for Session 2016-17 was published on the Committee’s website on 15th December 2017. Similar reports are available for previous Sessions.

Average Earnings

Catherine McKinnell: To ask Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average rate of pay has been for (a) men and (b) women in (i) the UK and (ii) the North East of England in each year since 2010.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
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Construction: Conditions of Employment

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which construction companies operating under Government contracts require employees to undertake a medical as a requirement for employment.

Oliver Dowden: This information is not held centrally.

Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to develop policy guidance for security and justice work undertaken through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.

Mr David Lidington: The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) staff can access thematic training and analysis from across government on security and justice. The Stabilisation Unit (SU) designed a new Security and Justice training course in 2017, which was delivered both in the UK and overseas. The SU is producing a new Stabilisation Handbook, which will have chapters covering thematic issues including security and justice. It will contain advice and guidance on how to deliver programmes effectively and share best practice on operating and delivering in conflict and stabilisation contexts. The Handbook will be published later this year and will be used by the CSSF staff and implementing partners.

Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of Conflict, Stability and Security Fund spending by thematic area incurred by each Government department in each of the last two years.

Mr David Lidington: Information on CSSF thematic and department spend for financial year 16/17 can be found in our published Annual Report and Programme Summaries – www.gov.uk/government/publications/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-cssfFurther details of department, regional and thematic spend for financial year 17/18 will be published in the CSSF Annual Report, due to be released in summer 2018.

National Security Capability Review

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Security Capability Review, published March 2018, whether the Government plans to produce a joint doctrine publication on the Fusion Doctrine.

Mr David Lidington: Joint Doctrine publications are produced by the Ministry of Defence for defence purposes. They articulate how joint operators need to be told what to do to ensure safe, effective and coherent actions in operations. Joint Doctrine as a concept is explained in more detail at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/developing-joint-doctrine-handbookThe Fusion Doctrine is the name we have given to a new whole-of-government approach to how we strengthen our national security. Further details of the Fusion Doctrine can be found on pages 10 and 11 of the National Security Capability Review available at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-security-capability-review-nscrThe Government has no plans to produce a joint doctrine publication on the Fusion Doctrine at the present time.

Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of Conflict, Stability and Security Fund spending by country and region incurred by each Government department in each of the last two years.

Mr David Lidington: Information on CSSF spend by country, region and department for financial year 16/17 can be found in our published Annual Report and Programme Summaries – www.gov.uk/government/publications/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-cssfFurther details of department, regional and thematic spend for financial year 17/18 will be published in the CSSF Annual Report, due to be released in summer 2018.